Despite Spain basking in a record-breaking influx of 94 million international visitors in 2024, the nation's beloved tourism sector has been hit by turmoil and controversy. Locals are up in arms over soaring rents due to properties being converted into holiday accommodations, prompting Spanish authorities to introduce measures aimed at curbing the negative impacts of tourism. The situation escalated last week when Ryanair criticised Spain's aviation industry and axed flights from crucial regional airports, stripping away approximately 800,000 seats in 2025, citing "excessive fees" imposed on the carrier.
Spanish officials have branded the airline's actions as "blackmail", but Ryanair has intensified the dispute by urging Spain's airport authority, AENA, to offload some of its less successful regional airports. The leading budget airline, which dominates Spain's air travel sector, presented the Minister of Transport with a stark choice in a statement: "Minister Puente has two options: he can continue to support AENA's failed regional airports policy or he can demand a growth plan from AENA that will attract airlines. If AENA fails to grow regional airports, it should be forced to divest itself of regional airports that are currently suffering the consequences of its inaction.
" Ryanair has been accused of "blackmail" by Spain's airport operator, who urged the Irish airline to "calm down". However, the firm remained defiant, stating: "Spain's regional governments know the value .