“we will move more than a million passengers”

Ryanair will reduce its activity in Zaragoza by 45% starting in November. At least, that is the threat that is on the table if Aena does not lower its airport taxes. But far from falling in traffic, Zaragoza has one goal: to reach a record number of travelers. And that’s how they intend to achieve it.

The notice. Ryanair will cut its activity in Zaragoza by 45% if airport taxes remain as they are. And, of course, if the increase that Aena wants to apply starting next year is maintained, with an eye on the period 2027-2031.

The movement is framed within the cut of 1.2 million places that the company has announced for the regional airports of our country in the next winter season. Asturias, Valladolid, Jerez, Tenerife North and Vigo will say goodbye to all the company’s activities, if the plan goes ahead.

The data. So far this year, Zaragoza has recorded a drop in the number of passengers of 0.5% but its operations have skyrocketed, registering an increase of 16%.

The data has some interesting figures:

• Passengers on domestic flights have barely fallen by 0.1%
• Passengers on international flights have fallen by 1.4%
• International operations have soared by 21% while national operations have grown by 7%
• Operations to move merchandise are the ones that increase the most. In total, the total cargo moved has increased by 22% so far this year.

All this data is collected by Aena.

and the answer. To Ryanair’s threats, the response from Zaragoza is clear: they want to continue growing. Last year, Zaragoza barely exceeded 700,000 passengers, with a growth of 1.9% compared to 2024. For next year, the goal is to reach one million passengers, an ambitious figure taking into account that Ryanair would reduce its activity by half.

In words collected by The Newspaper of Aragon, The general director of Transport of the Government of Aragon, David Sánchez, assures that the current volume of passengers is very far from what was expected in a city like Zaragoza and that they intend to increase them with new international routes. And he emphasizes: “in the year 2027, Zaragoza Airport will handle more than a million travelers.”

In that same newspaper, reference is made to the fact that the Aragon Government Council will soon present “the tender for a tourism promotion contract for the opening of new routes, both national and international” with the aim of increasing these flights.

Where to? In Herald They explain that two legs support the project to multiply the number of travelers. The main objective would be a connection with Frankfurt, a key city in international air traffic. By passenger volume, It is the fifth in Europemany companies use it as a stopover for their connections with long-haul flights and it is located in the economic capital of the European Union.

Also, a few weeks ago Wizz Air confirmed that it will connect Zaragoza with Milan starting in September through Malpensa airport. It will make three weekly flights and its 40,000 seats will replace Ryanair’s withdrawal from this connection (it flew to Bergamo, the usual route for low-cost operators) and which also offered 11,500 fewer seats for that same period.

But above all, we want to continue increasing the workload in the transport of goods. Right now, Zaragoza is the second airport in Spain in this section and since The Aragon Newspaper They point out that continuing to grow is one of the great objectives for next year.

Back to the rates. It remains to be seen, however, how the issue of airport taxes and Ryanair’s threats turns out. The Irish company assures that if the expected increase continues from next year, its activities at regional airports will be reduced and, with them, the routes it has available in Zaragoza.

Aena wants to apply a 3.82% increase to current rates in the period 2027-2031. The airlines, however, want the current fee to be reduced by 4.9%. The CNMC defends a rate cut of 0.59%a figure very far from the airlines’ claims but halfway between both parties.

For now, Ryanair has welcomed this proposal from the CNMC but it is not confirmed that Aena will listen to her when proposing to the Government its plan for the coming years.

Photo | Pedro Sanz and Burak Sahin

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