The CEO of Ryanair, Eddie Wilson, this Tuesday in Madrid, JUAN BARBOSA
Eddie Wilson (Dublin, 60 years old) is the CEO of Ryanair, which last year consolidated itself as the largest airline operating in Spain with almost 50 million passengers, far ahead of its immediate rivals, Vueling and Iberia.
The manager explains, in an interview held in Madrid, that the objective of the Irish low-cost company is to continue growing.
But he criticizes Aena's proposal to raise airport taxes by 4% this year and asks the Government for incentives to attract passengers to regional airports.
Ask.
What are your plans for this year?
Answer.
We are going to significantly increase capacity over the next seven years.
In Spain we are going to grow by 7% in 2024. We have already fully recovered from the pandemic: we are 125% above 2019 levels. Much of this recovery has been due to the Government committing to freeze airport taxes until 2027, and now Aena has proposed raising them by 4%.
We need stability to grow.
If we have to grow more, we have to know what changes there are going to be to make investments.
In Spain, we have grown rapidly in capacity and have managed to make the market recover quickly, and not only in Madrid or Barcelona.
More information
Spanish airports break a passenger record in 2023 on the back of tourism
Q.
If rates are raised, will they move capacity to other countries?
A.
These changes may affect all airlines.
There is a lot of available capacity in Europe, because not all countries have recovered pre-covid levels.
Airlines will make rational decisions and choose airports with the most competitive airfares.
Spain has grown a lot because the expectation was that airport taxes would remain frozen until 2027.
Q.
Can Aena change its mind?
A.
Last Friday we met with the President of the Government and presented a plan to increase traffic in Spain by 40% within five or seven years.
But we told him that something had to be done with the rates: we have asked Aena to reverse the increase.
We have also requested an incentive plan, with temporarily lower rates, for some regional destinations.
If Aena's rates are not competitive, air capacity will begin to go to other countries, to grow there.
Q.
Which ones?
A.
Anywhere in Europe, because many countries have not recovered their pre-covid capacity.
Germany remains at 75% of pre-pandemic levels.
There are countries that are offering incentives, like Italy, for example.
We also have a long-term agreement with Stansted in London [UK].
Aena manages the airports very well and our relationship with them is very good, but what we are saying is that we should not throw away what we have achieved.
An airplane is like a mobile factory, it is taken wherever it is most profitable.
Q.
The Government and the tourism sector defend that Spain needs tourism with greater purchasing power instead of
low-cost
tourism .
Do you agree?
A.
I don't think there is such a thing as a low-cost tourist, but rather there are tourists who want to spend as little as possible on transportation to get to a place, and once there they spend what they can or want.
They are normal people, there is everything.
There are also people who visit their relatives and, thanks to the
low cost
, they can do so more times.
And there are also people who travel for work.
They travel cheap to a place and then spend the money on accommodation.
Q.
What do you think of the measure announced by the Government to prohibit airplanes when there is an alternative train route of less than two hours?
A.
There are no reasons to ban these planes.
Ryanair does not fly from Madrid to Malaga because there is already a train that connects the cities every hour.
And it's faster than the plane.
That's why most people already go from one place to another by train, because it makes sense.
On these routes, the train wins.
This measure would not affect any of our routes.
Q.
Are you going to continue charging for carrying hand luggage in the cabin?
There have been some recent rulings against this measure and the European Parliament also wanted to prohibit it from being charged.
A.
At the European level I believe that this issue is already clarified.
Everyone can carry a backpack if it fits under the seat.
If it is bigger, Ryanair has to pay.
If a student wants to pay the lowest rate and doesn't want to bring a suitcase, then don't bring it.
We do not want to include in the price a service that some passengers do not want to pay for.
It's like forcing everyone to order a pizza that has all the ingredients, even the ones you don't like or have leftovers.
Q.
How can we combine an industry as polluting as the airline industry with the climate emergency?
A.
Airlines are necessary for journeys of more than 500 kilometers.
There are people who need to fly for work or to see family.
It is not always an option.
We have bought airplanes that need 20% less fuel, carry 20% more passengers and make 50% less noise.
The carbon footprint per passenger is reducing.
In Spain we have reached an agreement with Repsol for the supply of renewable fuel (SAF) starting in 2025. The objective is to operate 12.5% of flights with SAF in 2030 and reach zero emissions in 2050.
Q.
The SAF is much more expensive.
Doesn't it go against Ryanair's low-cost business model?
A.
It will have an impact on demand, but it will affect all airlines equally.
The solution is to produce more of this fuel, and governments should incentivize production.
Q.
In Spain, there are comments among some politicians and businessmen who question the country's security for doing business.
How do you see it?
A.
We have made large investments in Spain.
We also have investments in Italy, Poland, Lithuania and the United Kingdom.
But Spain is the country with the most investments after Ireland.
In every country there are moments of difficulty from time to time.
Its normal.
Follow all the information on
Economy
and
Business
on
and
X
, or in our
weekly newsletter
Subscribe to continue reading
Read without limits
Keep reading
I am already a subscriber
_