Ryanair, Spain’s number one airline, today (Monday, 27 April) condemned the Spanish government’s decision to pocket a dividend of €834 million from Spanish airport authority Aena, a state-controlled monopoly, as part of a record dividend of €1.65 billion, without doing anything to halt the collapse in traffic at Spain’s regional airports, which remain under-utilised by almost 70% and continue to lose routes, tourists and jobs.
Despite holding a 51% stake and being responsible for pricing policy, the Spanish government is driving airlines out of Spain’s regions. Instead of using its control to block the 21% increase (plus inflation) in charges proposed by Aena for DORA III, and demanding lower regional airport charges to boost growth in Spain, the Government is choosing to maximise cash returns by allowing Aena to abuse its monopoly position at Spain’s main airports, securing excessive margins of 60% at the expense of local economies, which depend on affordable air travel for tourism and employment.
As Aena’s main shareholder, the Government is also backing investments worth billions of euros abroad, with €800 million allocated to Aena’s airports in the UK and Brazil over the last 12 months, in addition to the billions previously committed to other non-Spanish airports. Meanwhile, it continues to turn a blind eye to the situation at Spain’s regional airports, which are ‘bleeding dry’ as they lose traffic due to Aena’s failed high-cost pricing structure, approved and facilitated by the Spanish Government.
Ryanair’s traffic at regional airports will continue to decline following a reduction of 3 million seats in regional airport capacity over the last 18 months. Ryanair will grow at Spain’s major airports, where Aena aims to consolidate airline traffic at the expense of balanced regional development.
3 million seats lost to date
Instead of advocating for the introduction of competitive charges at regional airports under DORA III (2027–2031), the Spanish Government is backing the state monopoly to ignore the national impact of its pricing policies having become dependent on dividends from Aena, which have totalled nearly €5 billion over the last four years. The regions are clamouring for a reduction in airport costs to boost new routes, tourism and employment, but airports such as those in Santiago, Jerez, Valladolid and Zaragoza cannot attract airlines to replace or increase lost capacity because Aena’s charges, backed by the Government, are utterly uncompetitive. Aena, on the other hand, prefers to channel the monopoly profits it makes in Spain abroad, to airports in the UK, Mexico, Jamaica and Brazil.
The Spanish Government must use its 51% stake in Aena to reinvest the profits from its monopoly in reducing airport charges and providing incentives at Spanish regional airports to boost traffic, rather than investing in airports in Brazil and pocketing extraordinary dividends. Aena has completely failed Spain’s regional airports, and it is time to introduce competition into the Spanish airport system and hand over control of these airports to someone who is interested in developing traffic, creating jobs and generating inbound tourism. If competitive airport charges are introduced, Ryanair could achieve 40% growth in Spain, adding 33 new aircraft based in the country, opening 5 new regional hubs and increasing Spanish traffic to 77 million passengers a year by 2031.
Eddie Wilson, Ryanair’s CEO, has stated: “The Spanish Government, as Aena’s main shareholder, continues to neglect regional Spain after becoming dependent on Aena’s dividends, which have totalled nearly €5 billion over the last four years. This year, the Spanish Government will pocket €834 million as part of a record €1.65 billion dividend from Aena, whilst Spain’s regional airports continue to bleed traffic, lose connectivity and see local jobs put at risk. Instead of investing in Spanish airports by reducing charges to attract traffic, the Spanish government prefers to invest in airports abroad, such as the €309 million in UK airports and the €483 million in Brazilian airports over the last 12 months.
"It is extraordinary that the Spanish Government should prioritise dividends and sending money generated by Spanish airports abroad to invest in airports in the UK, Mexico, Jamaica and Brazil, at the expense of Spain’s own airports, which continue to lose routes, tourists and jobs. With a 51% stake in Aena and the responsibility for approving pricing policies at Spanish airports, the government has the power to put an end to Aena’s monopolistic pricing strategies – which have harmed the airports regional airports – rejecting the DORA III (2027–2031) proposal to increase charges by 21% plus inflation, which will further undermine the competitiveness of Spanish airports, with regional airports being the hardest hit.
"A government cannot claim to be committed to balanced regional development in Spain whilst collecting billions in dividends and overseeing the transfer of billions of euros to foreign airports, when Spanish regional airports are 70% empty. This is an economic choice, and it is the regions that are paying the high price of lost economic development to finance these dividends.
"This summer, Ryanair traffic at Spanish regional airports will continue to decline, resulting in the loss of a further 1.2 million seats (3 million seats lost in total since the summer of 2024). Ryanair will continue to grow at Spain’s major airports, where Aena wishes to concentrate air traffic to maximise profits. However, total capacity in Spain will remain flat. Meanwhile, Ryanair will grow in other tourist economies, such as Morocco (by 11%) and Italy (by 9%), given that those countries are significantly more competitive than Spain.
"The Spanish government must act now. Firstly, it must block the price rises planned by Aena in DORA III, specifically a 21% increase plus inflation. Secondly, it must introduce lower airport charges at regional airports so that the existing infrastructure is utilised effectively and the regions can compete for routes and tourists. Aena can easily finance any necessary infrastructure using its substantial profits and reinvest the money it currently sends to foreign airports into domestic airports. It does not need to keep raising charges for airlines and passengers at the expense of Spain’s economic development.
"Ryanair has a growth plan ready for Spain: more aircraft, more routes and greater connectivity throughout the year, particularly to Spain’s regions, which would mean 40% growth for Ryanair in Spain, with the addition of 33 new aircraft based in the country, the opening of five new regional hubs and an increase in Spanish traffic to 77 million passengers a year by 2031.
"However, we cannot invest in airports whose charges are already manifestly uncompetitive, but which are now set to rise by 21% plus inflation. This makes no sense. Aena should lower airport charges – not raise them – and its level of profitability allows it to invest in new infrastructure using its own resources generated from its profits. The Spanish Government cannot continue to benefit from a dividend of €834 million whilst essential airport infrastructure in Spain remain unused, and its own pricing policy is driving away routes, tourists and jobs. The government must decide what its priorities are: boosting connectivity, tourism and employment at Spanish airports, or at international ones.”