10:29 AM EDT, 09/05/2025 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with Aena's response in the fourth and fifth paragraphs.)

Ryanair ( RYAOF ) has called on Maurici Lucena, chief executive officer of Aena, which manages the majority of Spain's airports, to reduce regional airport fees, claiming that rising fees are harming air traffic, tourism, and employment, the budget airline said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Ryanair ( RYAOF ) said it will reduce its capacity for winter 2025 by 41% in Spanish regions and by 10% in the Canary Islands, as well as close its two-aircraft base in Santiago, due to "excessive and uncompetitive airport charges" levied by Aena.

The Spanish airport operator has recently decided to increase charges by 6.62% starting next year, the highest in more than a decade, Ryanair ( RYAOF ) said.

In response to a request for comment from MT Newswires, an Aena spokesperson referred to a Wednesday press release, which stated that Aena has proposed an increase of 0.68 Euros ($0.80) in airport tariffs in 2026 in accordance with its regulatory framework. Aena also said its airport charges are generally among the most competitive within Europe.

"Contrary to what Ryanair ( RYAOF ) maintains, airport tariffs that are defined by law cannot be modified by either the Spanish Government or Aena at will," Aena CEO Maurici Lucena said in Wednesday's statement.

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