Lorraine Williamson
Tourism-dependent regions in Spain are bracing for turbulence after Ryanair announced plans to axe almost one million seats from its schedules next year. The airline’s retreat risks leaving many provincial airports with dwindling connections just as visitor numbers begin to recover from the pandemic.
In areas far from Madrid or Barcelona, air links are more than a convenience: they are an economic lifeline. Towns that rely on low-cost flights for tourism and business travel now face the prospect of reduced visitor flows. Local hotels, restaurants and small businesses warn the cuts could strangle fragile post-COVID recoveries.
Ryanair has confirmed it will pull back from seven airports, including Vigo, Zaragoza, Santander and Asturias. In Valladolid and Jerez, it is withdrawing altogether. Passenger numbers are already falling sharply, with Valladolid recording a 68% collapse in traffic this summer compared with 2024.
Ryanair slams airport fee hike
The airline blames Spain’s state-owned operator AENA for the retreat, describing a 6.5% rise in airport charges — taking the average fee to €11.03 per passenger — as “irresponsible and damaging.” Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson argues that smaller airports cannot attract enough traffic to remain viable under higher costs.
“If even the cheapest airline in Europe can’t make these airports profitable, no one can,” Wilson said.
He also criticised Spain for channelling billions into major hubs such as Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga and the islands, while regional airports are “left to wither.” Ryanair says it will move capacity to Italy, Hungary and other markets offering better terms.
AENA defends its model
AENA has rejected calls for reform or privatisation of regional airports, pointing instead to its discount programme for airfields handling fewer than three million passengers per year. Officials insist the scheme is designed to attract routes and stabilise connectivity in less busy areas.
Meanwhile, AENA has sought replacement carriers to plug gaps. In Valladolid, Vueling has stepped in to restore links to Barcelona, though analysts say no airline can fully offset the scale of Ryanair’s departure.
Growth at big hubs masks decline elsewhere
While smaller airports are squeezed, Spain’s largest hubs are seeing growth. Ryanair has increased seat capacity at Madrid, Barcelona and Málaga by 1.5 million this summer, a 3% rise. The shift underscores a widening imbalance: booming traffic in metropolitan hubs, shrinking access in provincial regions.
Future of regional connectivity at stake
Although some minor airports reported a modest 4.8% rise in the first half of 2025, that growth predates the full force of Ryanair’s retreat. The real impact will become evident in 2026, when seasonal tourism collides with reduced availability of low-cost flights.
Industry voices warn this could mark the beginning of a structural decline in regional air travel. With fewer flights come fewer tourists, less spending power and limited opportunities for residents. Wilson has urged the Spanish government to act before “irreversible damage” is done to regional economies.
Spain’s aviation future may soon be split between global hubs with rising traffic and neglected regional airports starved of connections. How authorities respond could determine whether the country maintains a balanced air network or surrenders its regions to long-term decline.
Sources: Economia, Libertad Digital