Ryanair warns it is 'ditching' two destinations from UK 'completely'

Ryanair is axing flights to two European Union holiday hotspots amid a growing row with Spanish airports over the fees they charge the low-cost carrier to operate.
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


Ryanair has warned it is ditching two destinations from the UK "completely". Ryanair is axing flights to two European Union holiday hotspots amid a growing row with Spanish airports over the fees they charge the low-cost carrier to operate.

Ryanair cited "excessive fees" from state-controlled airport operator Aena. The airline, which flies from Birmingham, will reduce capacity by 18 per cent on 12 routes, resulting in the cancellation of 800,000 passenger seats compared to last summer.

The airline will cease operations entirely in the cities of Jerez and Valladolid. The airline - which is rivalled by the likes of Jet2, TUI, EasyJet and more - attributed the cuts to Aena’s “monopolistic” fee structure and lack of incentives to promote regional growth.

ADVERTISEMENT

READ MORE: Foreign Office warns UK tourists to 'charge phone' and 'find a safe place'

READ MORE: Spain announces 'unprecedented' new laws for UK tourists to make holidays 'more difficult'

READ MORE Warning over Santander, Nationwide, NatWest, Lloyds, HSBC, Barclays mortgage rule change

Ryanair DAC CEO Eddie Wilson warned: “AENA’s excessive airport charges and lack of viable incentives for growth continue to harm Spain’s regional airports, limiting their growth and leaving huge areas of airport capacity unused.”

He further criticised Aena for prioritising investments outside Spain, such as in “airports in the Caribbean, the UK, and America.” Ryanair claims Aena’s refusal to offer effective incentive packages is forcing the airline to redirect capacity to other European markets where governments encourage growth, such as Italy, Sweden, Croatia, Hungary, and Morocco.

ADVERTISEMENT

Aena, however, contested Ryanair’s allegations, stating that its average fee of €10.35 per passenger is “one of the lowest in Europe.” The airport operator described Ryanair’s criticisms as “spurious arguments… to confuse citizens and put pressure on public institutions"

Ryanair - which will reduce capacity to a string of other destinations in Spain as well as axing flights to Jerez and Valladolid - has called on Spain’s competition authority, CNMC, to align Aena’s charges with the government’s five-year freeze and introduce effective incentive packages.

“Without urgent action, Spain risks losing further capacity and investment to more competitive markets,” Wilson warned.