Low value provider Ryanair has introduced it’s slashing a million seats from the Spanish market this coming winter in response to what it known as a “shameless” charge hike introduced by the airport operator Aena. Aena’s CEO Maurici Lucena responded by accusing Ryanair of “self-righteousness”, “rudeness”, “blackmail” and greed, because the long-running battle between the biggest airline in Spain by passenger numbers and the operator of a lot of the nation’s business airports escalated. Ryanair has as soon as once more confirmed it should shift capability from the Spanish market to Croatia. Nonetheless, the provider has but to unveil any new routes from Croatia for the upcoming 2025/26 winter season or the 2026 summer time schedule.
Over the previous month, Ryanair officers have visited each Zagreb and Dubrovnik, following earlier visits to Rijeka this summer time. For the upcoming 2025/26 winter season, which runs from October 26 to March 28, the airline has scheduled 690.282 seats on the Croatian market. This represents a 9.4% enhance in comparison with final winter, or an extra 59.070 seats. The expansion is primarily pushed by frequency will increase on present routes.
Subsequent 12 months, Ryanair will enter the fifth and last 12 months of the Development Incentive Mannequin it has benefited from at its Zagreb base. To take care of its incentives, the airline should add at the least 75.000 departing passengers through the 12 months, with the potential for additional reductions if it surpasses 150.000 further departing passengers per 12 months. This supplies Ryanair with a powerful incentive to extend its site visitors out of the Croatian capital every year.
Ryanair’s choice to cut back its operations in Spain over a 6.5% charge enhance introduced by Aena for 2026 will end result within the closure of Valladolid and Jerez airports. The low value provider stated it could reduce capability in regional airports within the peninsula by 600.000 seats and within the Canary Islands by 400.000 seats between late October and late March. That represents 16% of its site visitors at regional airports.
