Central government urged to encourage more flights at regional airports in Spain

Ryanair announced that it was cutting 640,000 seats in Spain for this summer back in January, cancelling all its flights at several regional airports and reducing traffic at others. According to the Partido Popular party, this decision has a negative impact on the tourism sector, weakens competitiveness and deepens territorial inequalities. That is why Alberto Núñez Feijóo's party urges Spain's central PSOE-led government to implement a national air connectivity strategy for regional airports that guarantees accessibility for all regions, with special attention to those with fewer transport alternatives.

In the text presented in the Senate, the PP denounces that the government and Spain's airport operator (Aena) have "completely" abandoned regional airports. An abandonment that, together with the reduction of air connections, limits the arrival of visitors, directly affecting hotels, restaurants, shops and other local services, "especially in regions that depend heavily on tourism for their economic livelihood".

To encourage traffic at regional airports, the PP calls for the establishment of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives and reductions in airport charges at all national airports, following the example of countries such as Italy, Sweden, Cyprus and Turkey, to attract and retain airline operations. The conservative party defends the need to "implement proactive policies that provide a real incentive for airlines to maintain and expand their operations at regional airports, ensuring territorial cohesion and balanced economic development".

The PP also urges the government to "evaluate and adjust fiscal and regulatory policies to ensure that tax rates and charges are internationally competitive" and avoid the flight of airlines to other destinations. "It is imperative that the government takes urgent measures to ensure equitable connectivity across the country, preventing certain regions from being isolated and neglected," the text stresses.

The promotion of domestic tourism and the improvement of accessibility for people with disabilities in tourist destinations are other requests included in the PP motion.