Ryanair to scrap number of flights to much-loved European destination next summer
RYANAIR is reducing flights to a popular holiday hotspot in Europe next summer.
The budget airline confirmed that flights to Portugal are to be affected next year, citing the "increased airport charges".
Flights to Faro and Porto airports are to be reduced next summer, while aircraft based in Madeira will be halved.
Ryanair has already closed its Ponta Delgada base in the Azores this winter, and previously warned that Madeira could follow suit.
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary slammed the new fees introduced by ANA Aeroportos de Portugal, which manages 10 airports across the country.
He said: "Unfortunately, we are here to announce cuts, because we have recently been victims of the ANA/Vinci monopoly, which has extraordinarily increased airport charges for next year.
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"As a result of ANA's price increase in 2023, Ryanair closed its base in Ponta Delgada this winter.
"If ANA continues with these latest monopoly price increases to 2024, then Ryanair intends to downsize one of its two Madeira-based planes and significantly reduce our schedules to/from Faro and Porto for Summer 2024."
Airport charges across Portugal in 2024 are to increase by an average of 14.6 per cent, working out to around €1.60.
Porto fees are to rise by 11.9 per cent while Faro fees will rise by 11.4 per cent.
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The Ryanair boss continued: "The ANA monopoly should follow the example of other major European airports, especially in Spain, and freeze or reduce fees to help stimulate traffic and tourism recovery in Portugal post-COVID.
"Instead, ANA is harming Portugal’s competitiveness with this excessive and unjustified 17 per cent increase in fares, which will crowd out much-needed tourism growth, especially on the islands of Madeira and the Azores.”
And reduced flights is bad news for Brits, as fewer flights means more expensive tickets, due to a lack of availability and increased demand.
Mr O'Leary added: "The situation in Europe will become difficult next summer, there will be fewer seats available."
Sun Online Travel has contacted Ryanair for comment.
Ryanair has already reduced its winter flights due to a delivery delay of their new Boeing 737 planes, affecting airports including East Midlands Airport and Dublin Airport.
And its not just Portugal where flights are being affected in 2024.
More than 16,000 flights are to be cancelled across France in January and February next year.
The cancellations are due to updates being introduced across the air traffic control system.
French airports have been told to reduce flights by 20 per cent between January 9 and February 14.
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However, there is some better news, with TUI relaunching flights to Portuguese island Porto Santo, near Madeira.
TUI is also relaunching flights to Egyptian hotspot Marsa Alam, as well as to Kenya.
