Irish families disappointed as Ryanair cuts back on flights to popular holiday destination
Ryanair has made a decision that is sure to disappoint many Irish families who love a bit of sun (and golf).
Ryanair has added another popular holiday destination to its hit list, blaming a Spanish airport’s ‘failed fee system’ as the reason for the decision.
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Panoramic aerial view of Girona and the Cathedral on a beautiful summer day, Catalonia, Spain. Pic: Getty Images
The destination getting a cut is Girona-Costa Brava Airport, in the north-east of Catalonia in Spain, where this summer, there will be 11 per cent fewer seats available. The airport is a ten-minute drive from the Camiral Hotel, which will host the Ryder Cup in 2031.
Many people often use this airport as an alternative when heading to Barcelona or the Costa Brava, and in 2025, it saw more than 2.1 million passengers travelling through – a number that hasn’t been seen since 2013.
According to local media, the airport fees are the reason for this change in their locations.
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Tossa de Mar town on the Costa Brava Mediterranean coast in Catalonia, Spain. Pic: Shutterstock
Alejandra Ruiz, spokesperson for Ryanair in Spain, said ‘Ryanair had ambitious growth plans for Catalonia’s regional airports, where it could have allocated a fifth aircraft to Girona, a new base in Reus, and unprecedented growth at both airports under competitive and beneficial conditions for all airlines.’
He added that ‘We are still waiting for a response from the Spanish government, which has no plans to fix these regional airports.’
The news comes just a few days after it was announced by the company that they would be launching two new airports, Saarbrücken and Friedrichshafen, with a further 300,000 seats and 14 new routes.
This comes after the German government reduced the aviation tax from July 2026 and put a hold on ATC charges.
This is not the first time the company has cut flights to popular destinations. In recent months, the airline has put a halt to destinations such as the Azores, Palanda and Jaunas in Lithuania.
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