Ryanair has announced it is reducing its operations in Portugal due to the increase in airport fares implemented by operator ANA, a subsidiary of French multinational Vinci.
The average increase in fees across Portugal’s airports is of 14.55%, but it varies from airport to airport depending on the adjustments made to compensate for previous years. Thus, Lisbon will see the highest increase, of 16.98%, which is equivalent to 2.29 more. After Lisbon, Porto’s fees will increase by 11.92% (€0.92 more), Faro by 11.35% (€0 .88 more), Beja by 8.77% (€17.71 more), in Madeira by 7.92% (€0.98 more) and Azores by 7.47% (€0.57 more).
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.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair CEO
“There is no justification for the ANA monopoly to increase fees up to 17% in 2024. The monopoly airport operator seeks even higher fees, on top of Portugal’s already high airport fees, to further line its pockets at the expense of Portuguese tourism and jobs, especially on the Portuguese islands”, Ryanair CEO, Michael O’Leary said at a press conference in Lisbon.
The airline has already closed its base at Azores Airport and warned earlier this year that the increased fees could lead to the closure of the Madeira base as well. While that is not yet the case, from January, only one of the two planes stationed at Madeira will remain. Moreover, traffic will be reduced at Faro and Porto next summer.
Since ANA faces no competition in Portugal, the airline has dubbed it a “monopoly airport concessionaire” and said its “excessive and unjustified charge increases (…) will have a hugely detrimental impact on Portugal’s connectivity, tourism and jobs, especially for island economies”, particularly damaging tourism in destinations like the Azores and Madeira.
Ryanair is appealing to the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) to intervene and cut the increases, pointing out other European airports are not increasing fees in an attempt boost the recovery of air travel and tourism to pre-Covid levels. Moreover, O’Leary asked for the Portuguese government to “reopen the concession for the new Montijo Airport, to break ANA’s monopoly”, saying that Lisbon Airport could grow from 30 to 40 million passengers with different management, but the “French monopoly” is purposefully stunting the growth. Once completed, Montijo should be handed over to an operator other than ANA to break its monopoly, O’Leary argued.
