The war between Ryanair and Aena: a battle without barracks in which both are needed

Neither of the two involved seems to have, for the moment, intention to give in. Ryanair will grow in the main Spanish airports, but the plazas suppressed will be taken to other markets such as Croatia and Moroccowhile Aena will continue to bet on her incentive program, which made available to the airlines last year and will be active until 2026. It is a plan -centered plan with less than three million passengers annually that have not yet been Retrieved from the pandemic, which offers airlines that do not pay fees for all additional travelers who get attracted to the equivalent season of the previous year. A plus to which 100% discounts are added in the rates corresponding to airport safety and reduced mobility passengers, in the same terms of gain as travelers.

The defense of the quoted that leads Maurici Lucena It is that, with these incentives, airlines can save 70% of the operational costs, which is why they say Ryanair and the rest of the airlines have come to pay only 2 euros per passenger, compared to 10.35 euros which are currently paid in most infrastructure controlled by the semi -public. Ryanair says that this figure is “false” and says that regional airports in other European countries are more competitive because they ask for fewer taxes. Aena, on the other hand, already talks with other airlines to occupy the hole left by the Irish. “There are conversations all the time,” says Manager’s sources. Natural applicants are other ‘low cost’ like Vueling or volotea.

Square cut

Thanks or not to its bonuses plan, AENA has managed to increase the number of passengers in regional airports by 3.1% until it reaches 22.6 million, according to the data extracted by this newspaper. But it is also true that in five of the seven airports where Irish has cut squares for next summer, had already lost passengers and reduced operations in 2024. They highlight Asturiaswhere flights were diluted 18%, to 950, and Santander (-14%), airport for which the ‘low cost’ is essential because it gives it more than half of the passengers: 622,600 of the 1.09 million that had the northern infrastructure or destination. The European giant has suppressed 25,000 places for the summer in the latter, for the 15,000 seats he has removed at the Asturian airfield.

For Zaragoza, Ryanair It also represents more than half of its passengers (386,912 of the 689,369 total of 2024), but has cut 65,000 places for summer, after increasing operations and number of travelers last year, although very slightly, 3%. While in Vigo, where the Irish has eliminated 40,000 squares, already in 2024 the flights were reduced by 5%, to 502. where Ryanair flights is most cut is in Santiago de Compostela (-370,000 places), after maintaining practically the same operations in 2024 (9,938) as in 2023 and representing almost half of the passengers who traveled by Lavacolla: 1.68 million of the total of 3.6.

Of the two airports that the company has announced that it will abandon completely, Valladolid and JerezIt is striking that in the latter 20% increased in both passengers (171,259) and in operations (1,000) in 2024. In the city of Pisuerga, on the other hand, Ryanair reduced 2.4% operations and transported 5% less passengers. Here his absence will also leave a mark after contributing last year 97,683 of the 192,000 tourists who passed through Villanubla.

Crossing cards

The battle has already reached the highest level, with the crossing of letters between O’Leary, and Minister Puente. “I express my disagreement with the conminatory and somewhat insolent tone of the letter that, as CEO of Ryanair, sent me on January 21,” said the Valladolid in the letter advanced this week for five days. In parallel, O’Leary It also maintains a pulse with the Minister of Social Rights, Pablo Bustinduy, whom he called “communist crazy” for the fine of 108 million that he has imposed for the collection of the hand suitcase.