Ryanair says goodbye: the Spanish airports losing flights this winter—and where those planes are going instead
The Irish low-cost carrier is cutting nearly 2 million seats in Spain, shifting flights to other countries in Europe and North Africa.
Ryanair is scaling back its presence in Spain with a sweeping set of cuts that will hit both major routes and smaller regional airports.
Starting this winter, the Dublin-based airline will shut down its two aircraft based in Santiago de Compostela, suspend all flights to Vigo beginning January 1, and drop service to Tenerife North. The cuts add to earlier withdrawals from Valladolid and Jerez, where the company already announced it will no longer operate.
Regional airports hardest hit
Beyond those closures, Ryanair is slashing capacity at several regional hubs:
- Zaragoza: down 45%
- Santander: down 38%
- Asturias: down 16%
- Vitoria: down 2%
In the Canary Islands, travelers will feel the pinch even more. The airline plans to scrap 36 direct connections, not only between the islands and mainland Spain but also among the islands themselves. Routes from Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote are also on the chopping block.
Nearly 2 million seats gone
All told, Ryanair will cut its winter capacity in Spain by 16% compared with last year. That amounts to more than one million fewer seats for the season—on top of the 800,000 already eliminated in the summer. By the end of 2025, the total loss will reach nearly 2 million seats.
Why Ryanair is leaving
The airline blames the pullback on what it calls “excessive and uncompetitive” airport fees charged by Aena, Spain’s airport operator.
“This will be a tourism catastrophe for regional Spain,” Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson warned on Wednesday.
Where the planes are going instead
While Spain loses out, other countries stand to gain. Wilson confirmed the carrier will reallocate those 2 million seats to destinations in Italy, Morocco, Croatia, Albania, Hungary, and Sweden.
He also hinted that Ryanair could expand operations at larger Spanish airports, but declined to give specifics.
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