RYANAIR APELA AO GOVERNO PORTUGUÊS PARA GARANTIR REFORÇO DE PESSOAL NO CONTROLO FRONTEIRIÇO E ALFÂNDEGA DO AEROPORTO DE LISBOA ANTES DO VERÃO DE 2026

A Ryanair, a companhia aérea n.º 1 da Europa, apelou hoje (sexta-feira, 17 de outubro) ao Governo português para que tome medidas imediatas no sentido de garantir um número adequado de funcionários no controlo fronteiriço e na alfândega do Aeroporto de Lisboa para o verão de 2026. Lisboa foi, de longe, o pior aeroporto em Portugal no que diz respeito a atrasos no controlo fronteiriço e alfândega neste verão, com passageiros a enfrentar filas de até 2,5 horas devido à falta de funcionários. Estes atrasos evitáveis – que prejudicam a reputação internacional de Portugal como destino turístico – não podem repetir-se no próximo verão. O Governo deve agir agora para assegurar que o controlo fronteiriço e a alfândega do Aeroporto de Lisboa estejam devidamente dotados de pessoal antes do verão de 2026, especialmente durante os períodos de maior movimento.

A Diretora de Comunicação da Ryanair, Jade Kirwan, afirmou:

“Com os passageiros que viajaram para Lisboa neste verão obrigados a suportar filas excessivas de até 2,5 horas no controlo fronteiriço e na alfândega devido à falta de funcionários, não é surpreendente que Lisboa tenha sido o pior aeroporto de Portugal em atrasos deste tipo. Esperamos que o novo Governo aprenda com os danos causados à reputação internacional de Portugal como destino turístico por estes atrasos extremos no Aeroporto de Lisboa, e que agora tome medidas para garantir que haja pessoal suficiente no controlo fronteiriço e na alfândega antes da época de verão de 2026.”

2 AIRCRAFT ($200M INVEST.), 23 ROUTES AND MORE THAN 1M PASSENGERS P.A. FOLLOWING SICILIAN REGION’S SCRAPPING THE MUNICIPAL TAX

Ryanair, Europe and Italy’s No.1 airline, today (24 Sep) announced it is opening a new base at Trapani-Marsala from Jan ’26. This follows the Sicilian Region’s decision to scrap the Municipal Tax at smaller Sicilian airports. Trapani-Marsala will become Ryanair’s third Sicilian base (20^th in Italy) further enhancing connectivity and the availability of low fares for Sicilian residents across the Island. This $200m new aircraft investment in Trapani-Marsala will create over 800 local jobs, 23 exciting routes, (incl. 11 new to major European destinations), and +260k (+25%) additional seats enhancing year-round connectivity, tourism, and jobs growth – all at Europe’s lowest fares.

The direct and immediate impact that reduced access costs have on airports is demonstrated by the record traffic growth Ryanair is already delivering to Abruzzo, Calabria, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. At larger Sicilian airports (Catania & Palermo), where the Municipal Tax still applies, there remains significant potential to further increase connectivity, particularly on key routes such as Rome and Milan. Scrapping the Municipal Tax also at these airports will unlock additional capacity, attract new routes, and ensure year-round connectivity, bringing wider economic benefits to the Island.

Ryanair welcomes the efforts of President Schifani and the Sicilian Govt in enhancing regional connectivity and congratulates them on the important decision to scrap the Municipal Tax at smaller Sicilian airports. Now is the right time to take a further step and abolish the Municipal Tax at all Sicilian airports to boost year-round connectivity and deliver lower fares for Sicilian citizens and visitors. This would activate Ryanair’s Sicilian growth plan, delivering 3 million additional passengers p.a., up to 5 additional based aircraft, and creating thousands of new local jobs.

Ryanair’s new Trapani-Marsala base will deliver:

• 2 new B737 a/c – $200M invest. (1 in W25 and 2 in S26)
• 23 tot. routes, incl. 11 new to Baden-Baden, Bari, Bratislava, Bournemouth, Brussels, Katowice, London, Pescara, Saarbrücken, Stockholm & Verona.
• Traffic grows to more than 1M pax p.a.
• +10% increase in capacity to Rome & Milan
• Supp. over 800 local jobs
• Increased year-round connectivity, more tourism, more jobs and lower fares.

To celebrate its new Trapani-Marsala base, Ryanair has launched a 3-day seat sale with fares from €21.99 on sale only at ryanair.com.

In Trapani, Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson said:

“As Europe and Italy’s No.1 airline, Ryanair is delighted to announce this major investment at Trapani-Marsala with the opening of a new base from Jan ‘26. We’ve worked closely with both the Regional Govt. and Airgest team to deliver this exciting investment. Since first flying to Sicily in 2003 Ryanair has carried 100 million passengers to/from Sicily, our new Trapani-Marsala base will deliver 2 new aircraft, 23 routes (11 new), more than 1 million passengers annually, and support over 800 local jobs. By connecting Trapani directly with nine countries incl. Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK, and with major Italian cities such as Pescara, Pisa, Turin, plus +10% incr. capacity to Milan & Rome, this new base will significantly enhance international accessibility and deliver true year-round connectivity, driving inbound tourism and ensuring Trapani and the wider region benefit from a consistent flow of visitors and sustained economic growth throughout the year.

Ryanair welcomes President Schifani and Sicilian Govt’s decision to scrap the Municipal Tax at the smaller Sicilian airports, and now is the right time to take the next step. Extending this measure to all Sicilian airports would unlock further connectivity, deliver lower fares, and strengthen year-round connectivity for Sicilian citizens and visitors. This will allow Ryanair to deliver transformative traffic, tourism, and jobs growth for Sicily, delivering 3 million additional passengers per year, 5 new aircraft, expanded routes to mainland Italy and international destinations, and thousands of new local jobs.

We also urge the Italian Government to scrap the Municipal Tax at all Italian airports to stimulate capacity, reduce fares, and drive economic growth. Should the Government act, Ryanair is ready to invest $4bn in Italy, adding 40 new aircraft, 20 million additional passengers, and over 250 new routes.”

Councillor for Infrastructure and Mobility of Sicily Region, Alessandro Arico’, said:

“A historic day for air transport in Sicily, as it marks a new and more exciting chapter in relations with one of the major international players in air travel, Ryanair. Thanks to the elimination of the municipal surtax, strongly advocated by the Schifani Government, air traffic to Sicilian airports will be incentivized by up to 5 million passengers. This will boost the economic and tourism development of the region, and above all benefit travelers, who will enjoy lower fares and new destinations made possible by the new agreement with the airline. The deal includes the establishment of a new Ryanair base in Trapani, 23 new routes, and a projected increase in passenger traffic of over 1 million by 2026. All of this is part of a broader strategy to relaunch Sicily’s airports, which also includes territorial continuity measures for Comiso (starting November 1), Lampedusa, and Pantelleria. Along with Trapani, Palermo, and Catania, these airports together form Italy’s third-largest regional airport system”.

Airgest’s President, Salvatore Ombra, said:

“The return of Ryanair’s base to Trapani Airport is not just a milestone — it is the milestone. It comes after a 10-year absence of the Irish airline from the airport, an absence that was deeply felt and had repercussions throughout the region. During the revival project of Vincenzo Florio Airport, which began six years ago, we faced all kinds of challenges — even the Covid pandemic got in the way. But what never wavered was our determination, our drive to act, and the support of an enlightened regional government that chose to stand by the people of Trapani and their airport. We were right to champion the removal of the municipal tax, and just a few months later, we are seeing the results. Ryanair has kept its commitment to base two aircraft in Birgi, which has led to an increase in routes. We would like to thank the President of the Sicilian Region, Renato Schifani, as well as the Regional Ministers for Transport, Alessandro Aricò, and for Economy, Alessandro Dagnino, who made this possible. And this is just the beginning — many more projects are in the pipeline for the modernization of the airport terminal”.

 

             

CRESCIMENTO ZERO EM LISBOA DEVIDO A TAXAS ELEVADAS DA ANA E À FALTA DE EXPANSÃO DA CAPACIDADE DE PORTELA

A Ryanair, a companhia aérea nº 1 da Europa, anunciou hoje (quinta-feira, 18 de setembro) a sua programação para o inverno 2025 para Portugal, com 121 rotas, incluindo 4 novas rotas emocionantes, frequências adicionais em mais de 30 rotas existentes a partir de aeroportos regionais, e a adição de 2 aeronaves em Madeira e Faro para o inverno, apoiando ainda mais o crescimento do tráfego regional.

Infelizmente, não haverá qualquer crescimento da Ryanair em Lisboa neste inverno devido às taxas excessivas e não competitivas da ANA e ao fracasso do monopólio aeroportuário em expandir a capacidade em Portela, o que impede o crescimento do tráfego, do turismo e do emprego em Lisboa. A Ryanair apela ao Governo português para expandir urgentemente a capacidade de Portela, de forma a garantir a competitividade de Lisboa, e solicita ao monopólio ANA que melhore a sua competitividade reduzindo as suas taxas excessivas, abandonando ainda a absurda proposta de fazer com que os passageiros do Aeroporto de Portela financiem o aeroporto de Alcochete, pagando taxas mais elevadas 12 anos antes de poderem utilizar o novo aeroporto.

A Ryanair continua a crescer noutros pontos de Portugal, com a expectativa de transportar 14m de passageiros (+6%) em 2025, e apresentou ao Governo português planos ambiciosos para duplicar o tráfego para 28m de passageiros por ano, com a base de mais 16 novas aeronaves Boeing MAX-10 (investimento de $1,6 mil milhões) e a criação de 500 novos empregos para pilotos, tripulação e engenheiros portugueses até 2030. Este crescimento, no entanto, depende de o Governo aumentar a capacidade de Portela e da ANA reduzir as suas taxas excessivas – medidas que estimulam o crescimento do tráfego, do turismo e do emprego em toda a economia portuguesa.

O CEO da Ryanair, Michael O’Leary afirmou:

“A Ryanair continua a crescer nos aeroportos regionais de Portugal neste inverno, operando 121 rotas, incluindo 4 novas (Porto–Gotemburgo e Varsóvia, Faro–Cracóvia e Madeira–Shannon), adicionando frequências em mais de 30 rotas existentes, e baseando 2 aeronaves adicionais (investimento de 200m de dólares) neste inverno em Madeira e Faro. Infelizmente, não há crescimento em Lisboa, devido às taxas excessivas do monopólio da ANA e à sua repetida falha em aumentar a capacidade de Portela.

Apelamos ao Governo para expandir urgentemente a capacidade da Portela e obrigar o monopólio ANA a reduzir as suas taxas excessivas e a abandonar o seu plano absurdo de fazer com que os passageiros da Portela paguem taxas mais elevadas para cobrir o custo do muito atrasado aeroporto de Alcochete. Alcochete só deverá ser financiado pelas companhias aéreas e passageiros que o utilizarem a partir de 2037.

A Ryanair é a companhia aérea que mais cresce na Europa e a única grande companhia a apresentar um rápido crescimento pós-Covid em Portugal. Podemos duplicar o tráfego português para 28 milhões de passageiros por ano nos próximos 5 anos, criando crescimento económico e de emprego significativo. Mas sem ação urgente do Governo e da ANA, este crescimento irá para aeroportos de menor custo e para outros países da Europa.”

RYANAIR CALLS ON EU COMM & PRESIDENT URSULA VON DERLAYED AGAIN TO EXPLAIN WHY SHE HAS ALLOWED ANOTHER SUMMER OF RECORD ATC DELAYS

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Wed, 3 Sept) called on EU Comm President, Ursula von “Derlayed-Again”, and certain EU Govts to explain why they have allowed another Summer of record ATC failures, which delayed or cancelled the travel plans of over 21m Ryanair passengers so far this year.

This call comes as Ryanair released its August “ATC Delays League”, which again shows that France, Spain, Germany, UK, and Greece are the worst ATCs for delays / cancellations because their Govts refuse to ensure their ATC services are properly staffed and managed.

There is no excuse for these failing ATCs to cause so many flight delays and passenger disruptions, when many other EU ATCs like, Bulgaria, Denmark, Slovakia, Netherlands, Belgium are delivering an efficient ATC service (without mismanagement or staff shortages).

Ryanair has long called for the EU to reform its failing ATC services to ensure they are fully staffed but the EU Commission keeps ignoring the continuing ATC mismanagement and staff shortages. Ryanair invites all passengers to visit the ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’ webpage and demand that the EU Comm President & National Transport Ministers take urgent action to fully staff their national ATC services, which would eliminate 90% of ATC delays. 

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“Yet another month of ATC mismanagement has passed in August with zero action to fix these failing ATC services by those responsible – the EU Commission and National Transport Ministers. Europe’s worst performing ATCs in France, Spain, Germany, the UK, and Greece continue to inflict avoidable delays and cancellations on thousands of flights and millions of Ryanair passengers due to  their inexplicable mismanagement and short staffing.

This failing ATC mismanagement in France, Spain & Germany is exposed by other efficient ATCs in Bulgaria, Denmark, Slovakia, Netherlands, and Belgium who continue to deliver Europe’s most efficient ATC services. This proves that well-managed, properly staffed ATC is not just possible but is already being delivered by many EU States. So why can’t France, Spain, Germany, the UK, and Greece do the same? The answer is: they can, but as complacent, protected State monopolies, they have no incentive to care about delays or passengers. If they did, they would ensure their ATC services are fully staffed and efficiently managed.

It is inexcusable that passengers and airlines continue to pay hefty fees for failing ATC services. Ryanair calls on the EU Commission and EU Transport Ministers of France, Spain, Germany, the UK, and Greece to take immediate action. Ryanair also calls on passengers to join Ryanair’s campaign and have their say by visiting the ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’ webpage and demand real reform of these failing ATC providers in France, Germany, Spain, the UK and Greece.”

ALMOST €600 IN SAVINGS IN 6 MONTHS

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Thurs, 28 Aug) released its exclusive “Prime Member” offer for September, giving members €40 off return flights operating between 30 October to 18 December. This exclusive 48hr sale is available only to Ryanair Prime members, so sign up before this 2-day sale goes live on Mon, 1 September, to save on fares and other Prime Member benefits, like free reserved seats and free travel insurance.

This September Prime Member sale is the sixth monthly seat sale since Ryanair launched its €79 subscriber discount scheme in March, with Prime members accumulating almost €600 in savings to date for a 12-month membership cost of just €79. Ryanair’s six-monthly seat sales alone saved Prime members €260, over three times €79 cost of Prime membership.

Ryanair CMO, Dara Brady said:

“We’re delighted to announce our September Prime Member Seat Sale, going live on Monday, 1 September for just 48 hours. Prime members can enjoy €40 off return flightsfor travel between Thursday, 30 October and Thursday, 18 December, the perfect time for a winter getaway.

With Prime, members unlock unbeatable value all year round, from savings on flights and seats to great deals on extras – all for just €79 a year. Sign up to Prime today and start enjoying the same incredible savings and benefits as thousands of our existing Prime members.”

A Ryanair, companhia aérea n.º 1 da Europa, apelou hoje (segunda-feira, 28 de julho) ao Governo Português para que tome medidas imediatas para resolver os graves atrasos no Aeroporto de Lisboa, onde os passageiros que chegam ao país são forçados a esperar até 90 minutos no controlo de passaportes, devido à contínua falta de funcionários nos serviços de fronteira.

Apesar de estarmos em plena época alta de viagens de verão, as autoridades portuguesas não garantiram o número necessário de funcionários nos postos de controlo de imigração do Aeroporto de Lisboa. Como resultado, os passageiros que chegaram a Portugal hoje enfrentaram atrasos inaceitáveis de até 1,5 horas.

A Ryanair apela ao Governo Português para que tome medidas urgentes para resolver esta situação contínua e assegure a presença de funcionários suficiente nos controlos fronteiriços para responder ao volume de passageiros nos períodos de maior movimento. Sem uma intervenção imediata, são inevitáveis novos atrasos, o que continuará a prejudicar a confiança dos passageiros e a reputação de Portugal como destino turístico fiável.

Ryanair COO, Neal McMahon, comentou:

“É completamente inaceitável que os passageiros que chegaram hoje ao Aeroporto de Lisboa sejam forçados a esperar mais de 1,5 horas no controlo de passaportes devido à contínua falta de funcionários. Em pleno pico da época de verão, Portugal devia estar a receber bem os visitantes — e não a sujeitá-los ao caos e a longas filas. O Governo Português tem de destacar urgentemente mais funcionários para o Aeroporto de Lisboa, de forma a evitar mais atrasos e proteger a reputação do país como destino de férias de excelência.”

PLATFORM ENSURES PASSENGERS HAVE FULL TRANSPARENCY ON FARES WHEN BOOKING RYANAIR FLIGHTS THROUGH TRAVEL AGENCIES

Ryanair, Europe’s No. 1 airline, has today (Mon, 28 July) announced the launch of “Travel Agent Direct” (TAD) a new direct, authorised distribution platform, designed to allow offline travel agents to book Ryanair flights directly, ensuring full transparency for passengers.

This new booking platform is the latest development in Ryanair’s distribution commitment to only partner with trusted and authorised travel agencies, to book Ryanair flights for their customers, with full price transparency and assurance that customers will receive essential flight updates directly with no need to complete Ryanair’s customer verification. This is in stark contrast to unauthorised online and offline travel agencies who refuse to partner with Ryanair, and who continue to scrape data and mislead customers with hidden mark-ups.  

Ryanair’s Travel Agent Direct will simplify the process for traditional travel agencies by enabling them to access Ryanair’s industry leading network of 3,600+ daily flights to over 230 destinations across Europe.

Ryanair’s CMO Dara Brady said:

“We are delighted to launch our Travel Agent Direct platform which means authorised travel agencies, will have access to Ryanair’s low-fare flights to over 230 destinations for their customers, provided they ensure full price transparency for all Ryanair flights and products. The launch of TAD is a further demonstration of our ongoing commitment to fair and transparent distribution practices as passengers will now only see true Ryanair prices and will be guaranteed that their contact details will be provided to Ryanair, so that we can contact them directly for essential information about their flight. As Ryanair grows to 300 million passengers p.a. by 2034, we look forward to expanding our partnerships with trusted travel agencies across Europe.”