Ryanair is planning to reduce its Portuguese network in response to what it claims are “excessive increases” in fees levied by ANA Aeroportos de Portugal, which manages 10 airports on Portugal’s mainland, Madeira and the Azores.
The airline, which has already closed its Ponta Delgada base during the winter 2023-24 season, intends to reduce traffic at Faro and Porto airports in the summer next year and halve the number of aircraft based in Madeira.
Group CEO Michael O’Leary accused ANA of “harming Portugal’s competitiveness” by raising airport charges and called on the country’s government and Portuguese Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) to intervene. He also hit out at the “French-owned airport monopoly” in reference to ANA’s parent Vinci, saying Portugal’s government allows the company to “increase prices without consequences.”
ANA outlined in late October plans to raise charges by an average of 14.6% across its airports, representing an average increase of €1.60 ($1.74). Lisbon Airport will see the largest rise at almost 17%, while Porto’s fees will rise by 11.9%. There will also be an 11.4% rise at Faro, 7.9% at Madeira, 8.8% at Beja, and 7.5% at the Azores.
As such, Ryanair says it will reduce its Madeira base to one aircraft from January and cut capacity on routes to Faro and Porto. The ULCC was the second-largest carrier in the Portuguese market during the summer of 2023, accounting for about 19.5% of all departure seats, OAG Schedules Analyser data shows.
“The ANA monopoly should follow the example of other major European airports, especially in Spain, and freeze or reduce fees to help stimulate traffic and tourism recovery in Portugal post-COVID,” O’Leary says. “Instead, ANA is harming Portugal’s competitiveness with this excessive and unjustified 17% increase in fares, which will crowd out much-needed tourism growth, especially on the islands of Madeira and the Azores.”
Alongside the call for ANA to lower fees, O’Leary urged Portugal’s new government to prioritize the construction of Montijo Airport, which would complement the existing Lisbon Airport. He said that, once completed, Montijo should be handed over to an operator other than ANA.
Ryanair is no stranger to exerting public pressure on airport operators and governments in order to reduce airport charges. More recently, the carrier announced plans to move 19 aircraft from Dublin Airport to other European bases, strongly criticizing operator DAA for increasing passenger charges and what it considers to be wasteful spending and a lack of environmental incentives.
ANA has been approached for comment.
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