Brits looking to soak up the Spanish sun have been urged to snap up flights before prices rise, following Ryanair’s decision to slash thousands of seats from its schedule. The move comes due to what Ryanair calls “excessive” airport charges by Spanish operator Aena.
The budget airline has axed some 800,000 seats, nearly 20% of its Spanish operations, affecting airports like Zaragoza and Santander, with the latter being a route exclusively served by Ryanair from the UK. This will impact Brits planning a trip to the area.
Aviation expert John Grant from OAG cautioned that this reduction in supply is likely to push fares higher, advising travellers to book soon to avoid steeper costs. He told the Telegraph: “There is little scope for anyone replacing Ryanair and that may lead to a shortage of capacity, which in time will result in higher airfares.”
Ryanair’s decision to withdraw seats from sale follows a hefty £90million fine by Spain’s consumer rights ministry, prompting the airline’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, to label Spanish minister Pablo Bustinduy as a “crazy communist”. Additionally, the aviation industry is grappling with delays in new aircraft deliveries, causing many airlines, including Ryanair, to trim their passenger forecasts. In January, the Irish airline adjusted its expected passenger numbers for the 2025-26 financial year to 206 million, a 3% increase, but still down from the previously anticipated 210 million.
This change came after an earlier reduction from 215 million to 210 million in November, attributed to difficulties in receiving new planes. The sector has been affected by issues at Boeing, which suffered a significant strike towards the end of last year.
Boeing has also had to slow production of its 737 MAX model following an incident where a door panel detached during a commercial flight in January 2024. With passenger growth facing constraints, Michael O’Leary has said that Ryanair will “reallocate” its expansion to areas and airports such as those in Poland, Sweden, and Italy that are fostering growth by reducing or eliminating aviation taxes and “incentivising traffic growth”.