Ryanair will close its base in Santiago (Galicia, northern Spain) and cancel all flights to Vigo (Galicia) and Tenerife North, while keeping its bases in Valladolid and Jerez closed and reducing its capacity in Asturias, Santander, Zaragoza and the Canary Islands this winter. However, the Balearic Islands will avoid the low-cost airline's major cuts for next summer.
The airline has taken these decisions as part of its plan to reduce its capacity by 41 percent in Spanish regions and 10 percent in the Canary Islands this winter, which will mean the loss of one million seats in winter (two million annually) ‘due to the excessive and uncompetitive airport charges applied by the monopolistic airport operator Aena’.
Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson said during the winter season press conference that these cuts will further harm vulnerable airports and lead to ‘a loss of investment, connectivity, tourism and employment in regional Spain as many routes will become economically unviable’.
Specifically, the airline will reduce its capacity at regional airports by 41% (-600,000 seats) and in the Canary Islands by 10% (-400,000 seats).
Ryanair will close its two-aircraft base in Santiago, resulting in the loss of US$200 million in investment in the Galicia region.