Ryanair to slash almost one million seats across Spanish airports

Ryanair is preparing to axe nearly one million seats from Spanish airports after Aena revealed plans to increase airport charges.

The budget carrier will announce this dramatic reduction next Wednesday, according to Spanish media outlet Europa Press.

Eddie Wilson, the airline's chief executive, told the publication: "We are going to invest where we can get a return." He added that the decision was driven by the "indifference" of the Spanish government. The news comes as a major airport on holiday island loved by Brits named among best in Europe.

Ryanair is attempting to pressure Spain into reforming the management of Aena, which remains 51% state-controlled, and to boost the competitiveness of regional airports that are already "almost 70% empty due to a failed tariff structure", according to the carrier, reports the Liverpool Echo.

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The Irish airline has slammed Aena's proposals to raise fees by 6.5% by 2026, reaching 11.03 euros per passenger.

It branded that decision as "unjustified and damaging".

The carrier will reveal which airports face cuts and the precise number of affected seats at a press conference in Madrid next week, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Wilson had previously cautioned that the reductions would be "quite severe" and "very drastic".

He argued that Aena's pricing lacked competitiveness compared to other European destinations.

He warned that the cuts could leave Spanish regions with "fewer passengers, fewer jobs, fewer connections, and fewer opportunities for tourism".

The CEO of Ryanair has issued a stark warning that the airline may be forced to shift aircraft and capacity to more competitive European markets such as Italy, Sweden, Croatia, Hungary, and Morocco.

This comes after the airline already scaled back its operations in Spain earlier this summer.

It halted operations in Jerez and Valladolid, withdrew aircraft based in Santiago, and cut traffic at five other regional airports: Vigo, Santiago, Zaragoza, Asturias and Santander.

Both Ryanair and Aena have been contacted for their comments on the matter.