IAG announces 30k new seats on Spain flights as Ryanair cuts back

Iberia Express, a budget Spanish airline owned by the International Airlines Group (IAG), has confirmed it will introduce 30,000 new seats on flights for the Canary Islands. Between October 2025 and January 2026, a total of 115 new flights will be introduced, while the size capacity of 150 flights will be increased to create more space.

This comes as Ryanair, another budget airline, announced it will reduce its operations in Spain, resulting in approximately 400,000 fewer seats available on its Canary Islands flights. In contrast, IAG plans to increase its operationsin the Canary Islands by 5%, creating around 30,000 new seats for this winter alone.

The airline is committed to improving 'connectivity' between the Canary Islands and its residents, while also promoting tourism outside the traditional season. Isabel Rodriguez, commercial director of Iberia Express, said: "This increase in capacity in the Canary Islands reflects the firm commitment we have made to the islands since the beginning of our operations, a commitment we have maintained and strengthened over the years, demonstrating that we will always be with the Canary Islands under any circumstances."

She added: "On the short-haul route, Palma de Mallorca, Vigo, and Alicante are some of the most frequent destinations for customers flying between Madrid and the Canary Islands."

Ryanair has revealed plans to enhance its connections to the north of Tenerife, with an additional 15,000 seats in the pipeline. The airline also intends to add eight more daily flights to Madrid during the winter season and provide an extra 850 seats for Tenerife South.

Fallout of Ryanair in Spain

However, Ryanair's operations in Spain are set to take a hit. The airline has confirmed it will slash approximately one million seats to Spain throughout the winter period due to what it describes as 'excessive' price increases from the country's airport operator, Aena.

This comes after Aena announced a 6.62% rise in airport charges starting from September 2026.

In response, Ryanair will cut its flight capacity to regional Spanish airports by 600,000 seats and reduce its Canary Islands flights by 400,000 seats this winter. The budget airline will also shut down its base in Santiago, resulting in a £149m investment loss in the Galicia region.

Furthermore, all flights to Tenerife North will be completely suspended by the end of the year. Flights to Vigo will also cease from January 1, 2026.

Ryanair has accused Aena of prioritising 'record profits from the country's main airports. ' It also claimed that both the operator and the Spanish government have "failed the Spanish regions".

Despite these setbacks, Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair, stated that the airline remains "committed to Spain" but it "cannot justify continued investment in airports whose growth is being stymied by excessive and uncompetitive charges."

He stated: "It is shocking that, despite contributing €28bn (£24bn) to the Spanish economy and one in three tourists arriving on Ryanair flights, there is no willingness to collaborate to stimulate traffic in areas that need capacity, connectivity, and investment. Ryanair once again calls on the CNMC and the Spanish government to reject these excessive charge increases and extend the charge freeze to protect regional connectivity, tourism, and jobs."