(Reuters) – Ryanair is considering cutting more flights from medium and small Spanish airports next winter and in 2026 if operator Aena does not lower its fees, newspaper El Economista reported on Monday citing the Irish airline’s CEO Eddie Wilson.
Regional airports “need low fees to stimulate growth”, Wilson told El Economista in an interview, “otherwise the formula will not work”, he said, adding that the company would not invest in loss-making operations.
The largest European airline in terms of passenger numbers said in January that it would reduce flights at seven regional airports in Spain this summer and cancel some 800,000 passenger seats compared to the previous year.
However, it added 1.5 million seats at popular larger airports such as Madrid, Malaga and Alicante, according to El Economista.
A spokesperson for Aena declined to comment, though the company in January called Ryanair’s arguments “spurious” and said its fees were among the lowest in the region.
(Reporting by Javi West Larrañaga; editing by Inti Landauro, Kirsten Donovan)
