Ryanair, Europe’s No. 1 airline, has today (25 July) called on the Portuguese Govt to protect connectivity, jobs and tourism post-Covid in Ponta Delgada and Madeira – two of Europe’s most peripheral islands which rely on low-cost aviation for inbound tourism and local jobs – by reversing ANA’s excessive 26% charge increase on all passengers departing Madeira and Ponta Delgada Airport and by scraping ANA’s 96% overcharge on passenger security. The Portuguese Govt. wasted over €3.5bn of taxpayer’s money baling out TAP, yet standby and risk losing connectivity to/from the Azores.

Ryanair currently operates 44 weekly flights across 4 routes to/from Ponta Delgada for Summer ’23 and has carried over 2.8 million passengers since operations began in 2015, however the future of Ponta Delgada’s tourism is at risk by ANA’s extortionate price increases. ANA’s already excessive charge increases at Ponta Delgada and Madeira airports are exacerbated by the fact the Portuguese Govt continue to allow ANA to overcharge for passenger security by +96% per departing passenger from all Portuguese airports yet for some illogical reason the Portuguese Govt have stalled on implementing these lower charges despite the Portuguese Regulator approving them months ago.

Ryanair is also operating its biggest ever schedule in Porto and Faro for Summer ’23. This growth at Porto and Faro is a direct result of ANAC (the Portuguese Airport Regulator) intervening and stopping the airport operator ANA from introducing excessive airport charges at these airports. Regrettably, ANAC’s intervention has not gone far enough with ANA increasing charges for Madeira and the Azores, inexplicably putting these peripheral island-based economies on a par with the capacity constrained Lisbon Airport.

The Portuguese Govt. has also failed to protect the vulnerable Outermost Regions for the Azores and Madeira from the EU’s ETS Reform, which means that charges will increase by up to an additional €10 per passenger.

Ryanair calls on the Portuguese Govt to urgently take the follow actions to protect Azores connectivity and jobs:

1. Reverse ANA’S +26% price increase and Ponta Delgada (& 18% at Madeira)
2. Implement the Regulator approved lower passenger security charges
3. Reverse the inclusion of the outermost regions in ETS scheme, for all airlines flying from the Azores

Ryanair DAC’s CEO, Eddie Wilson said:

“Ryanair is calling on Portuguese Govt to protect Azores connectivity, jobs and inbound tourism by reversing ANA’s 26% price increase and immediately lowering passenger security charges, which have already been approved by the Regulator months ago. The Portuguese Govt can further protect the competitiveness of the Azores by reversing the abolition of the OMR ETS scheme that will see passenger charges increase by up to €10, making the Azores hopelessly uncompetitive vs other non-peripheral EU regions which are less exposed to ETS, as well as non-EU destinations which fall outside the scope of ETS.

Over €3.5bn of taxpayers money was wasted on bailing out TAP but yet the Govt. has done nothing to protect connectivity and jobs in the Azores. Increasing airport charges has a significant impact on regional airports, putting growth – especially for two island-based economies completely dependent on tourism – at risk. Ryanair is best placed to deliver the capacity, traffic and the investment needed to boost The Azores’s post-Covid recovery and provide connectivity, choice and low-cost fares for Azorean citizens/visitors, however the Govt must act now and introduce lower access costs to protect tourism recovery and growth.

We are calling on the Portuguese Govt to take 3 simple actions to safeguard tourism for The Azores and boost Portugal’s tourism growth and recovery post-Covid which is Portugal’s no.1 economic driver.”