Ryanair to Cancel Flights from Tenerife Norte and Reduce Capacity in the Canary Islands
Ryanair will cancel all flights to Tenerife Norte and reduce its capacity in the Canary Islands by 10% (400,000 seats) this winter. This move is part of a broader plan to cut capacity by 41% in Spanish regions, attributed to “excessive and uncompetitive airport fees imposed by the monopolistic airport operator Aena.”
Significant Changes Ahead
This initiative will result in a loss of one million winter seats and two million annually. The plan also includes closing its base in Santiago, cancelling flights to Vigo, keeping the bases in Valladolid and Jerez closed, and reducing capacity at Asturias, Santander, and Zaragoza.
Eddie Wilson, Ryanair’s CEO, asserted during a winter season press conference that these reductions will further harm vulnerable airports, leading to “loss of investment, connectivity, tourism, and jobs in regional Spain, as many routes will become economically unviable.”
Specific Capacity Cuts
The airline will reduce capacity at regional airports by 41% (-600,000 seats) and by 10% in the Canary Islands. Ryanair will also close its two-aircraft base in Santiago, resulting in a $200 million USD loss of investment in the Galicia region.
All flights to Vigo will be suspended starting January 2026, and flights to Tenerife Norte will cease from the beginning of winter 2025. Furthermore, airports in Valladolid and Jerez will remain closed throughout winter 2025.
Wilson also announced capacity reductions at four other regional airports: Zaragoza (-45%), Santander (-38%), Asturias (-16%), and Vitoria (-2%).
Impact on Connectivity
Ryanair will cancel a total of 36 direct connections with regional Spain and the Canary Islands, apart from the cancellation of Tenerife Norte. This will affect flights from Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote, resulting in an annual diversion of two million seats to Italy, Morocco, Croatia, and Albania.
“Ryanair remains committed to Spain, but we cannot justify continued investment in airports where growth is hindered by excessive and uncompetitive fees,” stated Wilson.
In light of these developments, the airline is once again urging the CNMC and the Spanish government to reject “excessive fee increases” and to extend their freeze on fees to protect regional connectivity, tourism, and employment.
