Ryanair reigns in Spain: Competitors left grounded in May figures

THE summer season is nearly upon us and Ryanair is surging ahead. The low-cost airline is overpowering rivals including Iberia and Vueling. That’s according to the latest industry data released on Wednesday, June 15.

In May, Ryanair commanded an impressive 23 per cent of shares in the market, serving nearly 5.8 million passengers across its 12 airport bases in Spain.

According to data collected by airport operator Aena, Ryanair continues to dominate over its closest rivals, Iberia and Vueling.

Vueling saw a 14 per cent improvement in May on last year’s figures, welcoming a total of 4.1 million passengers. Meanwhile, Iberia achieved a respectable 17 per cent growth on last year’s figures, transporting 1.8 million passengers during the month of May.

Air Europa secured the fourth spot with remarkable figures, experiencing a significant resurgence. The airline welcomed 1.36 million passengers, surpassing both last year’s numbers and pre-pandemic levels.

Despite potential disruptions from pilot strikes planned, Air Europa bosses are anticipating a busy summer with 8.5 million seats up for grabs.

Foreign carriers, including Jet2, Easyjet, and Eurowings, also made their mark, entering the top ten airlines during May.

Jet2 transported an impressive 883,439 passengers, while Easyjet and Eurowings flew 814,438 and 718,842 passengers to their destinations.

With plans to introduce more aircraft throughout the year, the Irish budget carrier aims to transport approximately 52 million passengers in Spain by the end of this year.