Airport operations would grind to a halt if they were constantly marred by complaints and Ryanair's extortionate practices, according to the President of Aena.

Maurici Lucena, the President and CEO of Aena, the Spanish airport operator, has accused budget airline Ryanair of prioritizing its own interests over the general interest. In a series of accusations, Lucena claimed that Ryanair has a plutocratic concept of the political system, intimidates public opinion, demands resignations, and spreads lies using pressure methods.

Lucena's accusations come in response to Ryanair's announcement of a one million slot cut in Spanish regional airports, a move that the Aena president believes is in protest against a 68-cent increase in airport tariffs that Aena will implement next year.

The Aena president highlighted the astronomical bonus of over 100 M€ for Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, as evidence of his true priorities. Lucena expressed gratitude that Ryanair is one of Aena's main airlines, but emphasized that the airline uses Aena's airports freely and for profit maximization, not out of obligation.

However, Lucena also acknowledged the generalized problem of delays in the delivery of aircraft acquired by airlines as a restriction on the supply side. He stated that the incentives at regional airports are significantly lower than the average of Aena's airports in 2025.

In a letter, Lucena stated that if Spanish airports evolved according to Ryanair's demands, they would not function well and would not be financially sustainable. He provided a dossier with news articles showing Ryanair aggressively demanding better tariff conditions from various European governments and the European Commission.

Lucena also pointed out that Ryanair increases its flight tickets by an average of 21% in the last year, while insisting on the contrary that the fee increase would be significant for passengers. He claimed that Ryanair is distorting the data on the cuts in operations and requested that Ryanair clarify the quantitative discrepancy.

The Aena president stated that Ryanair's problem is not with incentives at regional airports, but with higher fees at larger airports where it can set higher ticket prices. He defended Aena's rates as being among the most competitive in Europe.

Ryanair has also demanded better tariff conditions from the governments of Germany, France, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Austria, Netherlands, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. The airline has also demanded the resignation of high-ranking political officials in various European countries.

Lucena's accusations follow a pattern of public disputes between Aena and Ryanair over fees and tariffs. As the leader of Aena, Lucena has publicly defended Aena's policies and fee structures in these disputes. He reiterated his commitment to maintaining Aena's competitive rates and ensuring the financial sustainability of Spanish airports.

Airport operations would grind to a halt if they were constantly marred by complaints and Ryanair's extortionate practices, according to the President of Aena.