Is Granada Airport just too close to one of Spain's busiest airports, Málaga, to have any future? That's the 64,000-dollar question.
Granada (Federico García Lorca) Airport has seen several low-cost, charter companies come and go, so Ryanair is not exception. In fact, this week, the Irish airline puts some of the blame on Aena and its airport taxes. Aena is the public entity that runs all of the country’s airports.

A Spokesperson from Ryanair in Spain, Elena Cabrera, said, “Ryanair is open to consider routes from Granada if the appropriate conditions are given to guarantee economic sustainability and competitiveness.”
The airline has eliminated 12 routes totalling 800,000 seats for its 2025 summer programming, dropping flights from Valladolid and Jerez regional airports, and reducing the number of flights in five others.
Ryanair, which operated from Granada between 2005 and 2010, put this down to Aena charging too much but said that they are keeping the door open to talks with AENA on its serious expansion plan that intends to boost regional airports.
“We want to continue investing in Spain and we have the ability to do so and we have shown that we are a reliable partner, but we need [better] conditions to carry out this expansion,” said Sra. Cabrera.
The low-cost Irish company operated in Granada thanks to an accord struck with the Provincial Council along with other budget airlines. The accord saw the airlines received public money in exchange for operating out of Granada, but the funding eventually dried up.
The thing is that Aena charges cheaper, per-passenger taxes at small provincial airports, with Granada paying 2.25 euros less than Málaga for instance.
It is, at the end of the day, the eternal problem: there are no decent international connections out of Granada because there is not enough demand and there is little demand because there are no decent international connections.
Futhermore, where Ryanair is concern, it is a company that will find one hundred ways to make you pay for something that was free before and finally backed down from actually charging to use the toilets in flight.
(News: Granada Airport, Vega, Granada, Andalucia)
Keywords: International Flights, Airport Taxes, Ryanair, AENA, Routes Cancelled
Reader’s comment: “Since the centre of Granada has been designated a limited traffic zone this may put offinternational and domestic visitors who arrive by car or hire a car. As far as I am aware,
I can no longer drive to the hub of Granada with my 21 year Seat Ibiza, but have to park
on the periphery and take a bus into the centre.
For clarity to my previous comment. It’s not just about low emissions. Even if I had a brand new electric car, because I’m not a resident of Granada City, I would not be allowed to drive in the centre.
https://urbanaccessregulations.eu/countries-mainmenu-147/spain/granada-ar” – Julie
Reader’s Response: “@Julie. You can enter Granada and the low emission zone as long you have a yellow B Sticker or better. If you don’t have a sticker at all and your car isn’t registered in Granada (City) you are not allowed to enter. If you have a sticker B or better (mine is B, Renault Laguna Diesel 2008) you are allowed to enter and it doesn’t matter where your car is registered.” – Oliver
3 comments for “Ryanair Wants More Incentives”