Ryanair announced this Thursday that it will cancel all flights to and from the Azores archipelago starting March 29, 2026. The decision is a response to increased airport fees imposed by the French operator ANA, as well as the Portuguese government’s lack of action in the face of rising costs in the air sector.
Accusations Against ANA and the Portuguese Government
The Irish airline directly blames the airport monopoly ANA — managed by the French group VINCI — for applying excessive fees at Portuguese airports. According to Ryanair, these fees have increased by up to 35% since the pandemic, with no competition to limit these hikes. Furthermore, it criticizes the Portuguese Government for not intervening to curb this situation, especially in an island region like the Azores, where air connectivity is essential.
This is compounded by a 120% increase in Air Traffic Control (ATC) fees since the pandemic and the introduction of a €2 travel tax, at a time when other European Union countries are removing similar charges to stimulate air traffic growth.
Impact on Connectivity and Tourism
The cancellation of flights will affect key routes connecting the Azores with London, Brussels, Lisbon, and Porto. After ten years of uninterrupted operations, Ryanair will cease to offer low-cost flights to one of Europe’s most remote regions, which could have negative consequences for tourism and local employment.
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Jason McGuinness, Ryanair’s Director of Commercial, expressed his disappointment with the situation:
“We are disappointed that the French airport monopoly ANA continues to hike charges in Portugal to fill its pockets, at the expense of Portuguese tourism and jobs – especially on the islands. As a direct result of these rising costs, we have no option but to cancel all flights to the Azores from March 29, 2026, and reallocate this capacity to lower-cost airports within the Ryanair Group’s network across Europe.”
Criticism of EU Environmental Policies
Ryanair also lashed out at the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), which it describes as anti-competitive. The airline points out that this system only taxes flights within Europe, while long-haul routes — such as those to the United States or the Middle East — are exempt, despite being more polluting.
The company is demanding that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, level the tax playing field between European and non-European operators by aligning the EU ETS with the international CORSIA system.
Reallocation of Capacity
Ryanair confirmed that the capacity currently assigned to the Azores will be redistributed to other European airports with lower operating costs. The airline insists that Portuguese airports, as part of the national infrastructure, should serve the Portuguese people and not foreign corporate interests.
With this measure, Ryanair aims to pressure both the Portuguese government and European authorities to review their fiscal and regulatory policies, especially concerning peripheral regions like the Azores.
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