Ryanair reduces flights to the Canary Islands due to ‘excessive’ airport charges

Low-cost airline Ryanair has warned of a reduction in flights to the Canary Islands, blaming what it describes as “excessive” airport charges imposed by AENA.

The airline confirmed yesterday (Monday) that it has withdrawn completely from Tenerife North Airport and reduced its overall capacity across the islands by 6%.

Ryanair claims the Spanish government, despite holding a 51% stake in AENA and overseeing its pricing policy, is effectively driving airlines away from regional airports.

According to Ryanair, “the Government is choosing to maximise cash returns by allowing AENA to abuse its monopoly position at Spain’s main airports, generating excessive margins of 60% at the expense of local economies that rely on affordable air travel for tourism and jobs.”

The airline also criticised what it sees as misplaced investment priorities, pointing to €800 million spent over the past year on AENA-operated airports in the UK and Brazil, alongside billions more previously committed outside Spain.

Ryanair says its presence at regional airports will continue to decline following a reduction of three million seats in capacity over the past 18 months. At the same time, it plans to focus growth on Spain’s larger airports, which it claims aligns with AENA’s strategy to concentrate air traffic rather than support balanced regional development.

However, the airline insists there is still room for expansion, if conditions change. It argues that introducing more competitive airport charges could allow Ryanair to grow its Spanish operations by 40%, including basing 33 additional aircraft in the country, opening five new regional hubs, and increasing passenger numbers to 77 million annually by 2031.