Ryanair announced the axing of over a million flights in Spain yesterday, as it cut or ceased operating in several Spanish regional airports. In the Canaries, Ryanair will cease to operate at Tenerife North this winter, while mainland airports at Vigo, Zaragoza, Santander, Asturias, Santiago de Compostela and Vitoria will see reduced flights or winter closures.
Ryanair blamed the cuts on Spanish airport authority AENA’s decision to increase airport taxes from next year onwards. Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair DAC, the main operating airline of the group, said “The decision by AENA and its shareholders (including the Spanish Government) to increase already uncompetitive airport charges by 6.62% next year is the latest evidence that the monopolistic airport operator has no interest in developing traffic at Spain’s regional airports, and simply wants to focus on making record profits from the country’s main airports.”
AENA responded by accusing Ryanair of “dishonesty and blackmail.” President Maurici Lucena said “Every Mayor and regional government knows how Ryanair are constantly grubbing for public money to finance their regional operations.”
Lucena said that the real priority of Ryanair was the “stratospheric €100 million bonus” awarded to the group’s CEO, Michael O’ Leary.
Oswaldo Betancort, president of Lanzarote’s Cabildo, sad that the effect on Lanzarote would be “insignificant.” This winter, Ryanair will fly to 35 destinations from Lanzarote instead of 40, after the loss of connections to Marseille, Luton, Barcelona, Turin and Dakhla.
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