article_detail

Tensions between airlines and Spain's airport operator AENA are boiling over again and, as usual, Ryanair's outspoken CEO Eddie Wilson isn't holding back. Wilson has come out swinging against AENA's proposed fee increases for the next five-year regulatory period, which would see charges rise by a cumulative 21% between 2027 and 2031 under the new DORA III framework.

 

Wilson called the plans "regrettable," although he admitted they didn't come as much of a surprise, accusing AENA of behaving like "a monopoly with a history of charging the highest fees at the expense of traffic development," particularly at regional airports.

 

He went further, claiming that AENA is "manipulating passenger figures to avoid taking risks and keep all the profit potential," and warned that if DORA III is approved in its current form it could mark "a turning point for Spanish tourism."

 

For passengers, the news could hardly be worse. If airlines are forced to absorb higher costs, fares are likely to go up. And for smaller regional airports, the risk is even greater since airlines may simply decide some routes are no longer worth operating. It's happened before. When AENA last raised its fees, Ryanair axed around two million seats at regional airports across Spain.

 

The budget Irish airline has already warned of potential further cuts this summer, although in some areas it has actually been moving in the other direction, adding new routes and increasing frequencies at airports including Murcia International.

 

Completely opposing AENA, the Airline Association (ALA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) are both calling for a 4.9% annual reduction in fees, arguing that a more competitive pricing structure would drive traffic growth in Spain and deliver a bigger economic benefit overall.

 

The ALA says its position is backed by independent studies from global consultancies Steer and CEPA, and insists that AENA's €10 billion investment plan for the period could be delivered without any increase in charges at all.

 

Wilson argues the real loser in all of this would be the Spanish economy, which depends heavily on tourism and air connectivity. Even the Canary Islands, traditionally among Spain's strongest performing airports, could lose ground to rival European destinations if charges make them less attractive to airlines.

 

Both Ryanair and ALA are now calling on the National Commission for Markets and Competition and the Ministry of Transport to step in and review the proposals before they are signed off.

 

Image: Freepik