In a note sent to newsrooms, the Ministry of Infrastructure stated that, following Ryanair’s statement about the alleged impact of airport taxes on the closure of its operation in the Azores from March 2026, they cannot “fail to express surprise at the statements made by the airline”.
The Government expressed “surprise” at Ryanair’s arguments about the end of operations in the Azores, remembering that the fee for this route is the lowest in Europe and that the company received tens of millions of euros in incentives.
In a note sent to newsrooms, the Ministry of Infrastructure stated that, following Ryanair’s statement about the alleged impact of airport taxes on the closure of its operation in the Azores from March 2026, they cannot “fail to express surprise at the statements made by the airline”.
The ministry led by Miguel Pinto Luz countered that “the route fee applied to the Azores is the lowest in Europe and the terminal fee is among the lowest”.
According to the guardianship, “air navigation fees, charged by NAV and which include the route and terminal fees, are calculated in accordance with a mechanism defined by EUROCONTROL, common to all Member States, and result directly from operational costs and, in general, from the volume of traffic”.
The ministry added that “the terminal fee has been on a downward trend since 2023, going from approximately 180 euros to the current 163 euros”.
“The proposal for regulated rates for 2026 does not foresee any increase compared to 2025”
Regarding the fees charged by ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, the Government highlighted that “the proposal for regulated fees for 2026 does not foresee any increase compared to 2025, remaining at 8.14 euros per passenger since 2024, which places Portugal among the countries with the most competitive airport fees in Europe”.
ANA has also reacted, highlighting that the “Ryanair’s statement comes as a surprise, with recent conversations with the Irish company aimed at increasing, not reducing, its flight offer to Ponta Delgada”.
The same Government source also recalled that “Ryanair has always had support and appreciation from the country for its operation in the Azores, which was reflected in tens of millions of euros in traffic incentives granted over the last few years through various programs, reflecting the continuous commitment to promoting air connectivity in the Autonomous Region”.
The ministry also highlighted that the Azores continue to assert themselves as a destination of excellence, with the year 2025 being considered a “golden year” with tourism revenue to grow 10% in the first half of 2025compared to the same period last year and with a consistent increase in the number of passengers, reflecting the competitiveness and attractiveness of the region.
Given these data, he concluded that “the content of Ryanair’s statement cannot be considered consistent with the growth of tourism, the rates charged or the support given to this company over the last few years”.
Flights to the Azores will be canceled from March
Ryanair announced this Thursday “that it will cancel all flights to/from the Azores from March 29, 2026, due to high airport taxes (set by the French airport monopoly ANA) and the inaction of the Portuguese Government, which increased air navigation fees by +120% post-Covid and introduced a travel tax of two euros, at a time when other European Union (EU) states are abolishing travel taxes to ensure the growth of capacity, which is scarce”.
Ryanair argues that the Government “must intervene and guarantee” that national airports – “a critical part of the national infrastructure, especially in an island region like the Azores – serve to benefit the Portuguese people and not a French airport monopoly”.
Therefore, they consider that the competitiveness of more remote European regions such as the Azores is being harmed by what they call the European Union’s anti-competitive environmental taxes.
