Ryanair targets Spain for growth

Ryanair airline boss Eddie Wilson: Aiming for five new bases in Spain by 2030.

Ryanair wants to open five new bases in Spain and expand by 40% in the country by 2030, the airline’s boss Eddie Wilson has said in Madrid.

He told reporters at a tourism event that the group aimed to increase passenger traffic to Spain to 77m people from 55m forecast for this year, but Spain needed to have competitive airport charges for that to happen. Ryanair has already built an impressive domestic presence in Italy, and for the airline and other low-cost rivals, Spain is quickly emerging as a major battle ground.

The conglomerate IAG, the Aer Lingus and British Airways owner which also owns Iberia as well as low-cost airline Vueling, is said to be planning to inject €6bn into Spain in the next few years. Ryanair will also be looking for new markets to employ the new Max 10 planes it has ordered from Boeing up to 2030. Mr Wilson said Ryanair had decided to invest in Spain because there was certainty on no charge increases until 2026-2027. 

Spain’s Transport Minister Oscar Puente said last week a 4% increase in tariffs by airport operator Aena was “inexorable”. Mr Wilson said that the 4% charge “needs to be reversed, but also, we need to put in incentives in the regions of Spain, and that will drive tourist numbers 12 months in the year, not just to the beaches or the coast”, he said.

Reuters; Irish Examiner