Ryanair to axe flights to Spain
Ryanair has become the latest budget airline to axe flights to Spain following a doubling of airport taxes.
EasyJet announced last week that it was closing its Madrid base and cutting the number of flights to Spain by 7% this winter due to the higher charges.
Now Ryanair has confirmed it will drop flights from the UK to both Madrid and Barcelona this winter.
It is axing 11 routes to Madrid, including flights from Manchester, and four routes to Barcelona, including flights from East Midlands and Leeds Bradford. It is also reducing frequency on many routes from both airports, including to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool from Barcelona.
Ryanair said the decision was in response to a doubling of airport departure taxes from July 1.
From November, Ryanair will base three fewer aircraft at Madrid and two fewer at Barcelona’s El Prat airport.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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