Competing airline companies expand their offerings as Ryanair decreases winter flights in Spain
Spanish airline Vueling is gearing up for a busy winter, with plans to operate almost 1.5 million seats to Spain. This expansion comes at a time when Ryanair, a significant player in the Spanish market, is reducing its flights, particularly at regional airports.
The reduction in Ryanair's flights has led to fewer seat availabilities, especially affecting connections outside major hubs. This has resulted in less choice and potentially higher prices in these regions. However, services at large airports like Madrid and Barcelona will continue to grow.
The UK, Spain's biggest market, remains a key player. Nearly 6 million British tourists visited Spain in the first seven months of 2025, and this trend continues as UK airlines increase capacity to serve the Canary Islands market.
Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, announced that another million seats could be cancelled next summer, and the airline has already cut nearly two million flights to Spain in 2025. One of the most significant changes is the immediate closure of Ryanair's Santiago base in Spain.
However, the gap left by Ryanair's reduction is being quickly filled by rivals. On the busiest routes to Spain's cities and islands, airlines are expanding their services. Vueling, for instance, will add an extra aircraft in Santiago from mid-December and 28 weekly flights to destinations including Barcelona, Mallorca, and Malaga. Tenerife Norte will gain 25 extra weekly services to Valencia, Alicante, and Barcelona.
Other low-cost carriers, like Jet2, are also boosting capacity. Jet2 will increase its summer capacity by 8%, including new routes from Bournemouth and London Luton.
Despite potential price increases, holidaymakers will still have multiple options to reach the Spanish sun. The number of international visitors to Spain in July 2025 reached a new record of 11 million, and August 2025 is set to break a record for UK-Europe flights, with almost 12 million seats available.
Spain welcomed 55.5 million international visitors in the first seven months of 2025, and total spending by these visitors surpassed €76 billion. The Spanish Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, claimed that Ryanair's departure is not due to a lack of profitability.
However, not all routes will remain the same. Flights to Vigo and Tenerife Norte are set to be suspended from January 2026, and routes from Asturias, Santander, Zaragoza, and Vitoria will also see reductions.
The Canary Islands continue to attract British tourists, with over 1.6 million British visitors between January and July 2025. As the tourism industry adapts to changes, Spain remains a popular destination for holidaymakers seeking the sun.
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