Details have emerged of Ryanair reductions to its winter schedule (October 2025 to March 2026) across Spain, slashing one million passenger seats primarily at regional airports, 600,000 seats removed from mainland regional airports and 400,000 from the Canary Islands.
These changes stem from the airline’s dispute with Aena over a planned 6.62pc increase in airport fees from March 2026, which Ryanair deems uncompetitive. The cuts represent a 41pc reduction (600,000 seats) at mainland regional airports and a 10pc cut (400,000 seats) in the Canary Islands, totalling 36 cancelled routes, mostly direct connections between mainland regions and the archipelago.
While Ryanair has not published an exhaustive official list of every affected route, details from announcements, press conferences, and regional reports confirm the following impacts.
Growth continues at major hubs like Alicante, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Valencia, and Málaga.
Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ) – Base Closure
Ryanair is closing its two-aircraft base at Santiago de Compostela, eliminating a planned €180 million investment in Galicia and resulting in an 80pc cut to flights (or 38pc overall capacity reduction in some estimates). This will lead to dozens of job losses and severely impact tourism to the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage site. Seven routes are being fully cancelled, with others seeing frequency reductions.
Affected routes (cancelled or suspended):
- London Stansted (STN) – Santiago de Compostela
- Dublin (DUB) – Santiago de Compostela
- Milan Bergamo (BGY) – Santiago de Compostela
- Brussels Charleroi (CRL) – Santiago de Compostela
- Porto (OPO) – Santiago de Compostela
- Edinburgh (EDI) – Santiago de Compostela
- Rome Fiumicino (FCO) – Santiago de Compostela Reduced frequencies on surviving routes like Málaga (AGP) and Barcelona (BCN).
Vigo Airport (VGO) – Full Suspension
All Ryanair flights to Vigo Airport will be suspended from 1 January 2026, leaving the airport without any Ryanair service for the latter part of the winter season. This exacerbates a 61pc reduction already in place from summer 2025 cuts, isolating the Galician region and affecting business and tourism travel.
Affected routes (all cancelled):
- London Stansted (STN) – Vigo (the only current Ryanair route from Vigo).
Tenerife North Airport (TFN) – Full Suspension
Ryanair will cease all operations at Tenerife North Airport from the start of the winter season (late October 2025). This primarily impacts domestic Spanish connections, as the airport serves mainly inter-island and mainland flights; international tourists typically use Tenerife South (TFS), which remains unaffected.
Affected routes (all cancelled; primarily domestic):
- Gran Canaria (LPA) – Tenerife North
- Madrid (MAD) – Tenerife North
- Barcelona (BCN) – Tenerife North
- Bilbao (BIO) – Tenerife North
- Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) – Tenerife North
- Seville (SVQ) – Tenerife North
- Valencia (VLC) – Tenerife North
- Vigo (VGO) – Tenerife North (already impacted by Vigo suspension).
Jerez Airport (XRY) – Base Closure and Full Winter Suspension
The base at Jerez Airport, already closed for summer 2025, will remain shuttered for the entire winter 2025 season, with no Ryanair flights operating. This continues a full withdrawal from the airport, affecting Andalusian tourism and local connectivity.
Affected routes (all cancelled for winter):
- Barcelona (BCN) – Jerez (the sole remaining route from earlier cuts).
Valladolid Airport (VLL) – Base Closure and Full Winter Suspension
Similar to Jerez, Valladolid’s base has been closed since winter 2024 and will stay closed through winter 2025, resulting in zero Ryanair operations. This isolates the Castile and León region, with passengers forced to travel to Madrid or Burgos.
Affected routes (all cancelled for winter):
- Barcelona (BCN) – Valladolid (the only route prior to cuts).
Zaragoza Airport (ZAZ) – Capacity Reduction
No base closure, but a 45pc cut in capacity (from summer 2025 levels, continuing into winter), equating to significant route and frequency reductions. Zaragoza, a key logistics hub, will lose connectivity to southern Europe.
Affected routes (cancelled or reduced):
- London Stansted (STN) – Zaragoza
- Milan Bergamo (BGY) – Zaragoza
- Brussels Charleroi (CRL) – Zaragoza Reduced frequencies to Barcelona (BCN) and Palma de Mallorca (PMI).
Santander Airport (SDR) – Capacity Reduction
A 38pc capacity reduction (building on a 5pc summer cut), with no base closure but loss of key international links. This hits Cantabria’s coastal tourism hard.
Affected routes (cancelled or reduced):
- London Stansted (STN) – Santander
- Edinburgh (EDI) – Santander
- Dublin (DUB) – Santander (bookable in system until April 27 but not available for summer)
- Reduced frequencies to Málaga (AGP) and Barcelona (BCN).
Asturias Airport (OVD) – Capacity Reduction
Capacity down 16pc (from 11pc summer reduction), with no route cancellations due to government-subsidised commitments until summer 2026, but fewer flights overall. Asturias to Dublin was cancelled last year.
Affected routes (reduced frequencies only):
- Rome Fiumicino (FCO) – Asturias
- Düsseldorf (DUS) – Asturias
- Brussels Charleroi (CRL) – Asturias No full cancellations; reductions on Barcelona (BCN) and Madrid (MAD).
Vitoria Airport (VIT) – Capacity Reduction
A minor 2pc capacity cut, with no base closure or major route losses, but slight frequency adjustments.
Affected routes (reduced frequencies only):
- London Stansted (STN) – Vitoria
- Barcelona (BCN) – Vitoria.
Canary Islands Airports – Overall 10pc Capacity Reduction
The Canary Islands face a collective 400,000 seat cut, with 36 direct mainland-Canaries routes cancelled (many from the above regional airports). Specific islands:
Gran Canaria Airport (LPA):
Five national routes lost.
- Bilbao (BIO) – Gran Canaria
- Seville (SVQ) – Gran Canaria
- Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) – Gran Canaria
- Vigo (VGO) – Gran Canaria
- Valladolid (VLL) – Gran Canaria.
Lanzarote Airport (ACE):
Loss of international links.
Marseille (MRS) – Lanzarote
- Venice Treviso (TSF) – Lanzarote (one of three Italian routes; Milan and Bologna remain). Reduced inter-island and mainland frequencies.
- Fuerteventura Airport (FUE): Minor reductions, but some domestic cuts. Affected routes (cancelled or reduced):
- Jerez (XRY) – Fuerteventura
- Valladolid (VLL) – Fuerteventura.
Tenerife South (TFS), Gran Canaria (LPA for internationals), and Fuerteventura/Lanzarote main hubs see some growth offsetting regional losses, but overall archipelago connectivity drops, raising fares by 10-15pc on survivors.
These changes, effective immediately for bookings, could cost Spain €28 billion in lost economic impact annually, per Ryanair estimates. Regional governments in Galicia, Cantabria, Aragon, and the Canaries have criticised the moves as “isolating,” urging negotiations with Aena. Passengers should check Ryanair’s website for updates, as some routes may see limited resumption if fees are revised.
Total cut 2m seats
This follows an earlier reduction of 800,000 seats in summer 2025, bringing the total capacity cut for the year close to two million seats. The decision, described as a response to “excessive and uncompetitive” airport charges imposed by Spain’s state-controlled airport operator Aena, has sparked a heated dispute, with Ryanair accusing Aena of prioritising profits over regional connectivity.
The closure of the Santiago de Compostela base, where two aircraft are currently stationed, represents a €171.5m loss of investment for Galicia, according to Ryanair. All flights to Vigo will cease from 1 January 2026, and services to Tenerife North will end at the start of the winter season. Additionally, Ryanair will maintain the closure of its bases at Valladolid and Jerez through the winter, while slashing capacity at other regional airports, including Zaragoza by 45pc, Santander by 38pc, Asturias by 16pc, and Vitoria by 2pc.
A total of 36 direct routes, primarily connecting mainland Spain with the Canary Islands, will be axed, impacting regional tourism and local economies heavily reliant on affordable air travel. Ryanair has warned that these cuts will lead to reduced connectivity, higher fares due to decreased competition, and potential job losses in affected regions.
Core of the dispute
The core of the dispute lies in Aena’s planned 6.62pc increase in airport fees, set to take effect in March 2026, raising passenger charges by approximately €0.68 to €11.03. Ryanair’s chief executive, Eddie Wilson, has publicly criticised Aena and the Spanish government, arguing that the fee hike makes many regional routes economically unviable. Wilson claimed that Aena’s focus on maximising profits at major airports like Madrid and Barcelona comes at the expense of underutilised regional airports, which he stated are operating at nearly 70pc below capacity. Ryanair has called on Spain’s National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) and the government to block the fee increase and extend the current fee freeze to protect regional tourism and employment.
Aena, however, has defended its pricing, asserting that its fees remain among the lowest in Europe and are regulated by Spanish law. The operator’s chairman, Maurici Lucena, accused Ryanair of “extortion” and misleading the public, arguing that the airline’s demands reflect a “plutocratic” view that governments should bend to corporate interests. Aena highlighted that Spain is on track for a record-breaking 2025 tourism season, with nearly 100m international visitors expected, suggesting that Ryanair’s cuts may not significantly dent overall travel demand. Nonetheless, the reductions pose a challenge for smaller airports and regions like Galicia and the Canary Islands, where Ryanair operates a significant share of flights.
While Ryanair scales back in Spain, it plans to redirect twom seats annually to markets with lower airport charges, such as Italy, Morocco, Croatia, Albania, and Sweden. The airline is expanding operations in Turin, Italy, and boosting capacity in Morocco, where competitive pricing has supported growth. Despite the cuts, Ryanair remains committed to Spain’s major hubs, with plans to increase capacity at airports like Madrid and Barcelona, though specific details were not disclosed. For travellers, the changes mean fewer options and potentially higher fares, particularly for those relying on budget flights to regional destinations. Passengers booked for travel from late October 2025 or January 2026, especially to Vigo or Tenerife North, are advised to monitor their bookings for updates.
