With plenty of sun, sea and sangria, Spain is a natural first holiday choice for many Brits, totalling 17.8 million visitors in 2024 alone.
But if you were looking to carry on that same energy in 2026, one popular European airline is set to axe around 1million flights to and from many of the country’s regional airports.
Plagued by fee increases from Spanish airport operator Aena, Ryanair is reported to be officially announcing the plans next week, outlining further details on which routes will be impacted.
However, speaking to Europa Press, the budget carrier’s senior executive, Eddie Wilson, hinted the cuts would likely affect flights scheduled for this coming winter.
The decision is understood to be a reaction to Aena’s approval of a 6.5% increase in fees issued to airlines in 2026, with the extra cash raised going towards the considerable expansion of both Madrid and Barcelona’s main airports.
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According to Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez, upgrades to the capital’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport will enable it to serve 90 million passengers by 2031 – an increase of 28% compared to current figures – and improve connectivity with South America and Asia to transform Madrid into one of Europe’s largest hubs.
In June, Catalonia also approved expansions to Barcelona’s main airport totalling €3.2 billion (approximately £2.7 billion).
Like Madrid, it also wants to capitalise on welcoming more routes to South America and Asia, and works would see one of its runways extended to 500 metres, controversially eating into 27 hectares of an EU-protected wetland area.
This isn’t the first time Ryanair has announced cuts to its flight schedule in 2025. In February, Michael O’Leary’s low-cost airline revealed it would be cutting its Spanish summer traffic by 18%, translating to a loss of 800,000 seats across 12 routes.
The low-cost airline confirmed it would be shutting down operations in Jerez and Valladolid, closing one of its bases in Santiago and cutting traffic in Asturias, Zaragoza, Santander and Vigo.
In April, Ryanair further threatened to drop more flights to destinations across Spain following Aena’s 2024 move to increase airline charges by 4.09% to make up for inflation.
Likewise, those looking to kick back and enjoy a little bit of La Dolce Vita have also been impacted, as the airline has also removed one of its aircraft from Rome’s Fiumicino (Italy’s largest airport) due to municipal surcharges.
Flights were scrapped to and from Aalborg too, after Denmark announced the introduction of an aviation tax of DKK50 (£5.60), while this summer saw Ryanair operate 12% fewer journeys to and from Germany on account of high air traffic control costs and aviation taxes.
Metro has contacted Ryanair for comment.
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