“We agreed that we will work together”, said Jason McGuiness after a meeting he had today with the president of the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, which he classified as productive.

This meeting came after Ryanair announced, on Tuesday, the decision to reduce the carrier's planes based in Madeira from two to one, starting in January.

Furthermore, the carrier also announced that it will reduce traffic in Porto and Faro next year, due to the increase in airport fees by ANA/Vinci.

Stating that Ryanair wants to “grow in Portugal and grow in Madeira”, Jason McGuiness stressed that “the president [of the Madeiran government] is in line” with the company and that the objective is “to work together to achieve the objective of this growth”.

Criticising the “French monopoly” of the airport concessionaire, the official argued that the regulator - the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) - should intervene in this case and tell “Vinci not to increase fees, but to reduce them”.

“It is necessary to reduce taxes in Madeira to grow tourism and the economy”, he argued, highlighting the importance of Madeira airport.

“Take control”

According to Jason McGuiness, “it is time to take control of the airport for the people of Madeira”.

“We want to double tourism numbers in Portugal in the next five years. We want to increase the number of planes to Madeira. Our plan was to go from two to five planes,” he highlighted.

However, he stated that this objective cannot be achieved due to the “unjustifiable and excessive increase in costs proposed by the Vinci airport operator”.

Ryanair's commercial director considered that, at the moment, neither the Government of the Republic nor the airport operator “have a plan to increase tourism” in Portugal.

Faced with an increase in airport fees, Ryanair, starting in January, will make a “50% reduction, from two to one aircraft based in Madeira” and will cancel three routes: Bergamo, Nuremberg and Marseille, he indicated.

Jason McGuiness mentioned that the company transported 700,000 passengers on the Madeira route, which is expected to reduce to 400,000 next year, reducing the frequency from 10 daily connections to seven.

“Our plan was to grow but, unfortunately, they have an airport owner who continues to increase fees. This is not viable in the context in which airports are reducing fees”, he stressed.

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