Spain has tired of Ryanair’s practices. And the airline is going to hit where it hurts the most: the provinces airports

“Before a clown uploads prices.”

The communications escalation between the government and Ryanair has reached its peak. Or we imagine. Because we can imagine that it will be complicated to exceed the promotional campaign launched by the airline to sell tickets for less than 20 euros.

Michael O’Leary, Ceo de Ryanair, has recorded a video To show his disagreement with the fine imposed by Spain, receiving an extra when carrying a hand suitcase in the cabin of the plane. All more or less normal if it were not because next to O’Leary there is a photograph of Pablo Bustinduy, Minister of Consumer, caricatured like a clown.

The promotion of new low -price tickets has continued with an advertisement on its own website in which they encourage purchase and use the image of Bustinduy, again a clown dress, as the main cause of an alleged future rise in prices of the tickets.

“It is not my style to participate in the eccentricities of a foreign millionaire,” said Bustinduy in what is the most media controversy but after which, without a doubt, a much greater problem is hidden that threatens the smallest and flows airports of passengers.

A threat that empties airports

To understand the whole Crossing statements between government and Ryanair You have to leave a few months ago. On November 29, a fine from Spain was confirmed to Ryanair, Vueling, Easyjet, Norwegian and Volotea with a sum of 179 million euros. Of that amount, 107,775,777 euros fell to the Irish company.

The economic punishment came after the government understood that the collection for hand luggage and charging for selecting a seat with dependent people was an abusive practice. The complaint had been filed by Facua And in summer the General Secretariat of Consumption and Game has already proposed a sanction of 150 million euros.

Then a period of claims was opened so that the airlines could defend themselves. All resources were dismissed and the government ended up raising the amount referring to that The practices had continued And, therefore, the illicit benefits had continued to grow. This reached the sanction of more than 100 million euros for Ryanair and the sum of 179 million euros for the total of sanctioned companies.

The government’s decision was based on a resolution of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 2014 that has decided to apply the modified standard in 2022. That year, the Ministry of Consumer, then led by Alberto Garzón, modified the consumer law to be able to sanction the big companies incurred in fraud.

Ryanair, obviously, It is disagreement of the application of the norm. Europe has called to declare Spain. Now, the government will have to give explanations in front of the EU Pilota mediating referee designed to resolve conflicts between the European Commission and the Member States.

Which They allege from Ryanair It is that it is true that the European Union forces to guarantee a transport of luggage free of charge to the plane ticket but that regulation does not establish measures and that, as there is no “standard” cabin suitcase, so they charge for transferring this luggage It doesn’t fit everything on the plane.

Goodbye Jerez and Valladolid

While all this happens, Ryanair has acted with other pressure measures. Alleging that Aena rates They are too high and that they will rise in the future, the Irish company has already announced that He will leave for the airports of Jerez and Valladolid. In addition, it will reduce its activity by 61%in Vigo, Santiago de Compostela (-28%), Zaragoza (-20%), Asturias (-11%) and Santander (-5%). In total, the volume of travel it provides in these airports will be reduced by 18%, eliminating 800,000 seats in the total sum of the 12 affected routes.

These rates, which are used to guarantee the basic services of airports, from cleaning and safety to the transfer to the plane itself, have a cost of 10.35 euros per middle passenger and They are “of the lowest in Europe”they point out from Aena. In 2021 this rate froze until 2026 but last year they rose 4.9%. In 2025, CNMC frozen prices again.

The pressure measure that Ryanair has exercised is to point to less busy airports but where his presence is essential to keep them alive. The company knows that Spain is a holiday destination in the mind of any European but also has in its hand to leave abandoned, or almost, cities with airports of less entity.

For example, In Valladolid there are 15 flights counted In the next two weeks, seven of them are from Ryanair. His march endangers the use of a dozen workers. What the company offers on many of these flights from smaller cities are journeys abroad. In Santander Just a few flights are those that do not have Madrid or Barcelona. One of them is managed by Binter, to the Canary Islands, but the others (London, Dublin, Rome or Valencia) Ryanair lends them all. His departure leaves with hardly any possibilities of flying to the Cantabrians to other places that are not Madrid or Barcelona.

From the government they defend themselves by ensuring that the operational rates in these destinations are very low and that they barely reach two euros per average passenger. In eldiario.es They explain well that the companies that operate in these spaces have used the money of the municipalities and the autonomous community to, without delivering direct aid, guarantee that the airport (born of the bubble before 2008) continues to function with strategies such as projecting local advertising in airlines airplanes.

To give an example, in the digital medium they explain that last summer The Cantabria government delivered 18 million euros in public promotion to Ryanair. That same mechanism has been used by the company for years to serve new air spaces. At the moment, more than 60% of the travel volume of the Cantabria airport accumulates Ryanair.

This battle between Ryanair and its position in Spain has also moved to local entities. Vigo has sanctioned the company with a fine of 17,414.24 euros when eliminating the routefrom summer, between the city and London, which they understand that it is a breach of the contract for which the town had disbursed 625,000 euros to guarantee the journey For at least three years. Money that, obviously, had come from the hand of vinilated in the planes to promote the city.

For its part, Andalusia has also wanted to punish the company but, on this occasion, they grab the same reason as the state government: collection by suitcases. So, They have imposed a sanction of 46,250 euros claiming that the company has incurred a serious offense.

At the moment, the conflict is still entrenched and what is evident is that the consequences will fall on the airports where the Irish company has more strength.

Photo | Portuguese gravity

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