Ryanair threatens to scrap flights to summer holiday destination

The budget airline has made a host of changes to its schedule in 2026, but one destination in particular is facing a huge threat of cuts.

It comes as the main airport operator has proposed an increase in passenger fees, meaning Ryanair and other airlines would be paying 21 per cent more from 2027 to 2031 in order to help funding for a €13 billion investment.

Aena, who operate across airports in Spain, are increasing fees by 6.5 per cent next year after the competition watchdog approved the move.

Aena owns some of the most popular airports for holidaymakers, including Malaga, Alicante and Ibiza.

However, airlines including Ryanair have dubbed Aena’s proposed increases as ‘excessive’.

The CEO of Ryanair, Eddie Wilson, said: “Next winter we will make further cuts to regional airport services and I remind you that our total traffic in Spain for this summer will only grow by 0.5% compared to 9% in Italy, 11% in Morocco or 20% in Poland.”

He added: “Aena’s proposal to increase fares by 21% is regrettable, but not surprising, as this airport monopoly has a history of applying the highest fares at the expense of traffic development, especially at Spain’s regional airports, which are 70% empty.”

“Aena’s excessive proposal is the result of a fictitious consultation process during which airlines have spent the last four months providing detailed information, only for Aena to ignore these contributions in their entirety and announce that it would maintain the same ridiculous investment proposal of €13 billion that it announced last September – even before the ‘consultation’ began.”

It comes after Ryanair revealed cutting a host of flights to Spain, leading to a loss of 1.2 million seats.

The airline is reducing its capacity at Santander, The Canaries, and Zaragoza, and significantly scaling back its operations at Santiago de Compostela.

Elsewhere in Spain, Ryanair are halting all flights to Asturias and Vigo.

Flights to Tenerife North have been stopped over the winter, and their base in Jerez will remain closed in 2026 after being closed over the winter. All flights to Valladolid have also been stopped, with that base remaining closed since 2024.