Ryanair CEO wants to further reduce the number of flights to Spanish airports

Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson said he plans to continue pulling flights from the company unless the Spanish government resolves the “broken” pricing structure at regional airports.

Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair, has escalated tensions with Spain’s airport operator Aena, announcing plans to withdraw more planes from smaller airports by next winter.

“Regions need low fares to stimulate growth, and this needs to come with low costs, otherwise, the formula doesn’t work,” Wilson told BirminghamLive.

Should the Spanish authorities fail to reduce the fees charged to airlines, Ryanair intends to withdraw more aircraft and flights from small and medium-sized airports.

“We removed 800,000 seats this summer because we found better options to allocate that capacity elsewhere in Europe. And there will be more cuts in the winter of 2025 and even more in the summer of 2026,” Wilson told elEconomista.es.

“We have no plans to invest in regional airports because their pricing structure is broken,” said the Ryanair CEO. “Regional airports are 70% underutilized, so something is wrong,” he argued.

“If we transport more passengers, everyone benefits: the infrastructure is utilized, Aena recovers its investment, and Ryanair creates jobs and pays taxes,” Wilson continued.

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