Ryanair to add new routes from three Spanish airports, despite overall capacity cuts

Ryanair is launching new routes from three Spanish airports this summer, despite cutting its capacity to and from Spain by 800,000 seats during the summer period.

Announced by the airline in January, cuts will affect 12 routes across the airline’s Spanish network, when compared to the pervious summer season.

In a statement the airline criticised Spanish airport operator Aena for “trying to increase fees every year” with emphasis on “sharply rising fees” at the country’s regional airports, where traffic has not yet returned to pre-COVID levels.

Despite this, Ryanair is adding five new routes from Malaga including Brno, Czech Republic; Lübeck and Münster, Germany; Teesside, England and Warsaw.

Additionally, the airline will fly two new routes from Seville, including Baden-Baden in Germany and Rome Fiumicino. A new route from Barcelona to Copenhagen will also be launched.

However, Ryanair will cease operations in Jerez and Valladolid, retire one Santiago-based aircraft while reducing traffic at five other regional airports - Vigo by 61%, Santiago by 28%, Zaragoza by 20%, Asturias by 11% and Santander by 5%.

Across Malaga, Seville and Barcelona Ryanair will have 37-based aircraft.