Ryanair will stop flying to the Azores as of March 2026. The decision was announced on the low-cost airline’s website. The carrier says that the Azores will lose six routes and 400,000 passengers. The decision is due to “high airport charges (set by the French airport monopoly ANA) and the inaction of the Portuguese government, which increased air navigation charges by +120% after Covid and introduced a €2 travel tax, at a time when other EU states are abolishing travel taxes to ensure the growth of capacity, which is scarce.”

In a statement, Ryanair says that “ANA’s monopoly has no plan to increase low-cost connectivity with the Azores. ANA faces no competition in Portugal – which has allowed it to reap monopoly profits by increasing Portuguese airport charges without penalty – at a time when competing airports in other EU countries are reducing charges to stimulate growth.”

The Azores Government has already reacted to the news. In a statement, the regional secretariat for Tourism, Mobility, and Infrastructure “expresses surprise at Ryanair’s official statement issued today regarding its operation in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, as Visit Azores closely monitors the airline’s operation in the region.”

The executive assures that Visit Azores “is actively engaged and maintains direct and regular contact with Ryanair, so today’s statement is seen as untimely, even contradicting recent news and statements by the company’s CEO in which he affirmed his willingness to invest in the Azores and reactivate the operational base in Ponta Delgada.”

The Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility, and Infrastructure remains hopeful about the work being done by Visit Azores, recognizing that “a complex process of interaction is underway, involving various entities, but noting that, as has happened in the past, there are issues allegedly related to airport taxes and ETS that are unrelated to the region.”

From Diário da Lagoa, Clife Botelho-diretor.

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.