Ryanair, the biggest airline operating in Spain, is threatening to slash its number of flights to the country after the Spanish authority decided to increase the cost of using its airports by 6.62%. The move was agreed by Aena’s Board of Directors on Tuesday as part of its revised pricing framework for the 2026 financial year. The rise means travellers will fork out €0.68 more than the existing rate.
In response, Ryanair, run by Irishman Michael O’Leary, has vowed to “drastically reduce the number of seats and routes” if Aena goes ahead with its decision, which is due next year. Under the plans, the cost per passenger will increase €11.03 from 1 March 2026.
Ryanair said if it slashes its number of flights, regional Spanish airports will be most acutely impacted: “The effects of these cuts will be felt most acutely at regional airports, which are already almost 70% empty due to a failed tariff structure that wastes existing infrastructure designed to support local economies.
“Aena’s excessive tariff increases will further undermine the commercial viability of many of these routes, as well as the competitiveness of Spanish regional airports compared to regional airports in Italy, Croatia, Albania, Sweden and Poland, where airports and regions are actively reducing access costs to improve local connectivity, traffic growth, tourism and employment.”
Ryanair DAC CEO Eddie Wilson said: “Aena’s decision yesterday only confirms what Ryanair has been saying for a long time: Aena is only interested in extracting monopoly profits from its largest airports at the expense of Spain’s regions and their local economies, which remain chronically neglected.
“More than 85% of Spanish traffic is concentrated in just 10 airports (out of AENA’s 46 airports in Spain).”
Aena claims the adjustment is essential to protect its financial viability, especially since it doesn’t receive any support from Spain’s General State Budget.