Ryanair Closes Base in Spain and Cancels Flights to Vigo and Tenerife.

Closure of Ryanair Base in Spain

According to The Sun: The airline Ryanair has announced the closure of one of its bases in Spain and the cancellation of all flights to two resort destinations.

The budget carrier reported that it is closing its base in Santiago and stopping all flights to Vigo and Tenerife North.

EPA

Currently, two aircraft are based in Santiago, and with the closure of the base, the Galicia region loses investments amounting to 149 million pounds.

Flight Cancellations and Capacity Reductions

All flights to Vigo will be suspended from January 2026, while flights to Tenerife North will be canceled at the beginning of this year's winter season.

Additionally, Ryanair will close its bases in Valladolid and Jerez, and reduce its transportation volume in Asturias by 16%, in Santander by 38%, in Zaragoza by 45%, and in Vitoria by 2%.

It is also planned to cancel another 36 routes between regional Spain and the Canary Islands, while two million seats per year will be redirected to Italy, Morocco, Croatia, and Albania.

Comments from Ryanair Management

Ryanair's CEO Eddie Wilson and the company's communications director Alejandra Ruiz announced new cuts during a press conference in Madrid, stating that the airline will cut capacity by 16% across the country.

Eddie Wilson stated: “Ryanair remains committed to Spain, but we cannot justify further investments in airports, whose growth is hindered by excessive and uncompetitive fees.”

The airline again called on the Spanish regulator CNMC and the Spanish government to refrain from “excessive fee increases” and to continue the freeze on fees.

Reasons for Base Closure

The decision to close the base was made in response to increased fees from Aena – the state airport operator.

Aena charges airlines for the use of its airports and services, including terminals, runways, security, aircraft handling, and baggage.

The recent increase will lead to a 6.5% fee increase for airlines in 2026.

These additional fees will partially go towards financing the expansion of Aena's main airports in Madrid and Barcelona.

However, this may result in higher prices for air travel for British tourists, as airlines will have to offset these costs.

In January, Ryanair cut 800,000 seats on 12 routes, including domestic flights within Spain and international routes.

At that time, Eddie Wilson noted: “Excessive airport fees from Aena and the lack of really effective incentives for growth continue to harm Spain's regional airports, limiting their development and leaving vast capacities unused.”

In April, the airline stated that even larger cuts may be possible in the future, warning Aena that it would stop routes next winter if fees are not reduced.

Aena's fees were increased by 4.09% last year due to inflation.

The airline Sun Travel reached out to Ryanair for comments.

Additionally, another European airport is at risk of closure as Ryanair makes decisions to cancel all flights.

Moreover, in March, Ryanair canceled another flight to the UK just days after canceling routes to Denmark and Morocco.

Ryanair's decision concerns not only the closure of its base in Spain but also the overall reduction of the company's capacity in the region. The cancellations and reduction of transportation volumes can significantly impact the tourism infrastructure and economy of the affected regions. The company continues to express concerns about high airport fees that have led to its decisions. Observing the development of this situation, it is important to note that Ryanair is not abandoning Spain but maintains a critical stance toward the business conditions in the country.