A long-simmering dispute between Ryanair and Spain’s airport operator Aena over landing fees will directly affect Catalonia for the first time this summer, with the Irish low-cost carrier will reduce its capacity at Girona–Costa Brava Airport by 11%.
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The reduction, which applies to the summer season running from late March to the end of October, marks a significant shift for an airport where Ryanair holds a commanding 80% market share. Meanwhile, the airline plans a modest 2% capacity increase at the much larger Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport during the same period, as first reported by La Vanguardia.
A Nationwide Standoff Over Fees
The decision to scale back in Girona is the latest move in a protracted battle between Ryanair and Aena. For months, the airline has lobbied the state-controlled operator to lower charges at regional airports, defined as those handling fewer than 3.5 million passengers annually. Ryanair argues that reduced fees would allow it to lower ticket prices, thereby stimulating demand and boosting traffic at underused facilities across Spain.
This conflict has already led Ryanair to cease operations at airports in Valladolid, Vigo, and Tenerife North, and to reduce services in Santander and Zaragoza. The cuts in Catalonia signal an escalation of this strategy. The airline has been a vocal critic of Aena’s plans to raise airport charges, warning that such moves jeopardise tourism and connectivity.
“We are still prepared to grow in Girona and Reus, provided the costs are lower and more competitive,” Alejandra Ruiz, a spokesperson for Ryanair in Spain, told La Vanguardia. She added that “Aena’s failed fee system is harming Reus’s potential to grow in the low season and impacting Girona’s capacity, which will decrease this summer for the first time since the pre-Covid period.”
Girona’s Strategic Importance
For Girona–Costa Brava Airport, the 11% capacity cut is both a practical and symbolic blow. The airport is almost entirely dependent on the Irish carrier; of the nearly 2.2 million passengers who passed through its terminals last year, four out of five flew with Ryanair. The airport also holds a special place in the airline’s history, as it was the first Spanish destination Ryanair ever served, pioneering the low-cost model that revolutionised air travel in the country.
Aena currently offers incentives at its roughly 30 regional airports, including Girona and Reus. The operator fully rebates passenger, security, and reduced mobility assistance fees for any traffic growth an airline achieves compared to the previous year. However, Ryanair maintains this policy is insufficient to foster sustained growth.
The airline claims that with a more favourable fee structure, it would base an additional aircraft in Girona and boost its capacity there by 42%. In nearby Reus, where it holds a near 50% market share, it would establish a permanent base and increase seats by 67%. For now, these plans are on hold. This summer, Ryanair will offer 34 routes from Girona, including a new service to Bucharest, while Reus will see a 6% rise in capacity limited to the peak summer months.
Congestion Curbs Growth in Barcelona
In contrast, the situation at Barcelona-El Prat is markedly different. “Barcelona is a competitive airport,” Ruiz stressed. The modest 2% capacity increase there stems not from unattractive fees but from the airport’s physical constraints; it operates near its limit.
“We remain committed to Barcelona, and when the airport expands, we will be ready to grow even more there,” Ruiz added. The airport’s future has been the subject of intense discussion, with Aena confirming a €3 billion expansion plan that has stirred considerable debate and local dissent. For the upcoming season, Ryanair will operate 62 routes from El Prat, adding a new connection to Bratislava and running over 590 weekly flights.
With this latest move, Ryanair has drawn a clear line in the sand, demonstrating its willingness to use its significant market influence to pressure Aena. The decision leaves Catalonia’s regional airports, particularly the heavily reliant Girona, caught in the crossfire of a national dispute over the future cost of air travel in Spain.
