Ryanair will withdraw all flights to and from the Azores (including to/from London Stansted, Brussels Charleroi, Lisbon, and Porto) from 29 March 2026, blaming what it calls excessive airport fees imposed by Portuguese operator ANA and a lack of government action on rising aviation charges.
The airline says airport costs have surged by up to 35% since the pandemic, while Portuguese air traffic control fees have increased 120% and a new €2 travel tax has been introduced. The decision will see the loss of six routes and around 400,000 passengers per year, ending a decade of Ryanair operations in one of Europe’s most remote regions.
CCO Jason McGuinness said the carrier had “no alternative” but to redeploy aircraft to lower-cost airports elsewhere in Europe, criticising both the French-owned ANA monopoly and EU environmental taxes that he argues disadvantage remote EU regions such as the Azores.