Ryanair recently announced that it will discontinue all flights to the Azores islands starting March 29, 2026. The decision comes as a result of increased costs and travel taxes, according to the airline. Previously, Ryanair operated six routes to and from the islands, including seasonal flights from London Stansted and Bristol Airport between April and October, as well as connections from mainland Portugal, including Lisbon and Porto.
In a statement, Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer, Jason McGuinness, expressed disappointment over the situation, attributing the route cancellations to escalating airport fees imposed by the French airport monopoly ANA. McGuinness highlighted the negative impact on Portuguese tourism and employment, particularly on the islands. As a consequence of the rising costs, all Azores flights will be terminated, with the airline reallocating capacity to more cost-effective airports within the Ryanair Group network across Europe.
McGuinness criticized the airport charges in Portugal, which have reportedly surged by up to 35% post-Covid, and the EU’s environmental taxes favoring long-haul flights to the US and Middle East over flights to EU remote regions like the Azores. Following a decade of year-round operations, the loss of low-cost connectivity to the Azores will affect direct flights to major destinations such as London, Brussels, Lisbon, and Porto.
Ryanair has called on the Portuguese government to intervene and ensure that the country’s airports, crucial for regions like the Azores, serve the interests of the Portuguese people rather than benefiting a French airport monopoly. With the discontinuation of Ryanair’s Azores services, British travelers now have only one direct route to the islands through seasonal flights offered by British Airways from London Heathrow to Ponta Delgada Airport during the summer peak, with connecting flights available throughout the rest of the year via mainland Portugal.
The Azores are not the only destination to see Ryanair services cut due to cost issues. In 2025, the airline abandoned several regional airports and threatened to exit multiple French airports due to increasing taxes. McGuinness highlighted a substantial tax increase that rendered regional airports unsustainable for the airline. The French government’s 2025 budget included a tax rise for air travel, resulting in additional costs for domestic and European flights departing from France.
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