The airport is a well-liked alternative for Brits visiting Barcelona and the Costa Brava area, however fewer seats can be out there this 12 months
Ryanair run a number of routes to the Spanish airport (Picture: Getty)
Ryanair has introduced it’ll scale back its capability at a Spanish airport standard with Brits for the primary time since earlier than Covid.
The funds airline has blamed Spanish airport operator Aena’s “monopoly pricing construction” in an announcement and referred to as on the native authorities to reject its “value hikes” which Ryanair claims have hindered progress within the space. The airline has slammed Aena for charging comparable charges at small regional airports as at bigger hubs.
The airport takes Brits to the favored Costa Brava area (Picture: Getty)
Whereas Ryanair will make small will increase in capability at Barcelona and Reus airports, capability for Girona flights can be reduce by 11%. Ryanair mentioned in an announcement that Aena has elevated costs by 10% and is proposing an additional 21% rise by 2031.
Ryanair will function 12 routes and 70 weekly flights from Reus in 2026, and the airport, which is near the favored Spanish resort of Salou, can have additional flights to the UK and Eire in the summertime months.
Whereas it’ll supply 160 weekly flights to and from Girona airport, together with a brand new Bucharest route, Ryanair confirmed:” Girona’s capability will sadly decline this summer time for the primary time since pre-Covid because of Aena’s willpower to desert the areas.”
Girona airport is simply over an hour’s drive north of Barcelona and is utilized by passengers visiting town in addition to these staying in Costa Brava locations corresponding to Lloret De Mar and Tossa De Mar.
Ryanair provides a year-round London-Stansted path to Girona, in addition to seasonal flights to the airport from Belfast–Worldwide, Birmingham, Bournemouth,Bristol, East Midlands. Leeds-Bradford, and Manchester.
A spokesperson for Aena mentioned: “To undertake the investments proposed for the 2027–2031 interval, Aena has proposed a mean annual improve in airport charges which, within the case of Girona–Costa Brava Airport, could be 35 cents, and could be decreased to 25 cents if the incentives are utilized.”
Ryanair says it could nonetheless prefer to develop its capability at Girona and Reus if there have been “fewer and extra aggressive prices.” In 2024, airline representatives introduced a plan to Spain’s President Pedro Sánchez for a fifth plane to be based mostly at Girona and a brand new base at Reus, however these plans have but to come back into fruition.
Ryanair will barely improve its Reus capability (Picture: Getty)
Ryanair’s Head of Communications and spokesperson in Spain, Alejandra Ruiz, mentioned in an announcement: “Aena’s failed cost system is undermining Reus’ potential to develop off-peak and impacting Girona’s capability, which is able to decline this summer time for the primary time since pre-Covid.
“Ryanair had thrilling progress plans for Catalonia’s regional airports, the place it might have delivered a fifth plane in Girona, a brand new base in Reus and unprecedented progress at each airports underneath aggressive situations useful for all airways – nonetheless, we’re nonetheless but to listen to again from the Spanish Govt, who don’t have any plan to repair a system that continues filling Aena’s pockets whereas emptying regional airports.
“If AENA’s proposal to extend costs by one other 21% by 2031 is authorised, it’ll additional injury air connectivity, tourism and jobs throughout Spain, as airline capability will inevitably migrate to lower-cost airports elsewhere in Europe.”
The funds airline would transfer away from regional airports to bigger hubs (Picture: Getty)
Final 12 months, Ryanair introduced it could be reducing 1.2 million seats to regional Spanish airports because of objections over charges. This included stopping all flights to Asturias Airport within the north of the nation.
On the time, Ryanair mentioned: ”Aena’s monopoly method to pricing is that small underused Regional airports ought to cost comparable charges as busy foremost airports like Madrid, Barcelona, Palma and Malaga.
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“Because of this, Ryanair is switching seat capability to those greater Spanish airports (the place passenger demand and air fares are larger). When confronted with excessive charges at Regional airports, Ryanair has moved to decrease value airports elsewhere in Morocco, Italy, Croatia, Albania, and Sweden, the place Govts are abolishing Enviro Taxes and decreasing Airport charges.”
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