Budget airline Ryanair has confirmed it will terminate all flight services to the popular holiday destination of the Azores, citing unsustainable increases in operational costs and government taxes.
Flight Cancellation Details and Impact
The suspension of routes will take effect from 29 March 2026. This decision will see Ryanair completely withdraw from airports across the Portuguese archipelago, which it has served for a decade.
The airline previously operated a network of six routes to the islands. This included seasonal flights departing from London Stansted and Bristol Airport that ran between April and October each year. It also provided vital connectivity from mainland Portugal, with flights from Lisbon and Porto.
The move is expected to disrupt travel for as many as 400,000 passengers and is likely to lead to higher airfares for reaching the Atlantic islands, as low-fare competition vanishes.
Ryanair's Justification: Soaring Fees and Taxes
Ryanair's Chief Commercial Officer, Jason McGuinness, squarely placed the blame on the airport operator ANA and government policies. He stated that ANA, which is owned by the French consortium Vinci, has been increasing airport charges for airlines.
According to the airline, Portuguese airport costs have surged by 35% since the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of this, carriers face a Portuguese travel tax of £1.76 per passenger and additional EU environmental taxes, which Ryanair argues disproportionately affect short-haul flights.
Mr McGuinness expressed the airline's disappointment, accusing the "monopoly" operator of raising fees "to line its pockets at the expense of Portuguese tourism and jobs". He confirmed the airline has "no alternative" but to cancel the Azores flights and reallocate its aircraft to lower-cost airports elsewhere in Europe.
Consequences for Travellers and Future Connectivity
This withdrawal significantly reduces direct, low-cost travel options from the UK to the Azores. The cancellation of the London Stansted route leaves British Airways as the only airline offering a direct flight from the UK, operating a seasonal service from London Heathrow to Ponta Delgada.
For travel outside the peak summer season, passengers will now be forced to book more expensive and time-consuming connecting flights via mainland Portugal.
This is not an isolated incident for Ryanair. The airline has recently ended services at several other regional airports, including Strasbourg, Bergerac, and Vatry in 2025, and has publicly criticised the French government for tax hikes that make regional operations unviable.
