Ryanair announced, on February 7, its schedule for the summer of 2024 in Portugal, with 14 new routes to cities such as Stockholm, Rome, Madrid and Pisa. According to the company, the program includes:
- 14 new routes (Alicante, Stockholm, Belfast, Budapest, Krakow, Norwich, Marrakech, Rome, Ibiza, Madrid, Pisa, Poznan and Tangier (x2)).
- Total of 170 routes.
- Traffic grows to 13,5 million engers per year (+7%).
- 28 aircraft (investment of $3 billion).
- 1.000 jobs, including pilots, cabin crew and engineers.
However, the company condemns ANA's decision to increase rates by +17% from January 2024.
In this sense, there was the closure of the Ryanair base in Ponta Delgada and also the withdrawal of two B737 aircraft from its base in Madeira, as well as additional cuts in the summer of 2024 in Faro and Porto.
Ryanair points out that at Lisbon airport, where there are capacity restrictions, ANA fees are increasing by 17%, well above inflation (2,3%). It further highlights that these ANA monopoly airport fee increases are imposed at a time when most European airports are reducing fees to recover pre-Covid traffic and encourage growth.
About ANA
A ANA is the company responsible for managing 10 airports in mainland Portugal (Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Beja Civil Terminal), in the Autonomous Region of the Azores (Ponta Delgada, Horta, Santa Maria and Flores) and in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (Madeira and Porto Santo).
Ryanair's position
Therefore, Ryanair has requested that the Portuguese Government immediately open Montijo Airport, as well as increase airport competition, in order to reduce fares to Lisbon.
Michael O'Leary, Ryanair Group CEO, said:
“We are delighted to announce the biggest schedule for summer 2024 in Portugal, where we continue to grow and open 14 new routes. Ryanair's increased 2024 summer schedule will allow the airline to increase Portuguese traffic by 22% in 2024. Unfortunately, however, higher fees from ANA's monopoly are forcing airlines like Ryanair to reduce regional flights to/from Portugal. It is unacceptable that the Portuguese Regulator, ANAC, has agreed to increases in ANA's monopoly fees of up to 17%, well above inflation.
This decision will further harm the growth of tourism in Portugal and jobs. We have already seen this in the regional islands of Portugal, where Ryanair was forced to close its Ponta Delgada base and downsize one of its two Madeira aircraft – a loss of $100 million in investment – due to ANA's excessive rate increases. We demand that the Portuguese Government immediately open Montijo Airport to end ANA’s high-fee monopoly in Lisbon forever.”
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