The Irish budget airline Ryanair has announced it is dramatically reducing 12 routes to Spain, altogether terminating two of them.

       The airline, run by sharp-talking travel mogul Michael O'Leary, will reduce its flights to Spain by 18% this year - that works out at around 800,000 seats.

       Ryanair's Jerez and Valladolid operations are to be totally axed, according to the Mirror.

       During the summer of 2025, Santiago will receive one fewer aircraft, and traffic will be cut at five other regional airports—Vigo (-61%), Santiago (-28%), Zaragoza (-20%), Asturias (-11%), and Santander (-5%).

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       Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson said: "Excessive airport charges and lack of workable growth incentives continue to undermine Spain's regional airports, limiting their growth and leaving vast swathes of airport’s capacity underutilised."

       There's a popular Italian destination that will see less traffic from Ryanair, too.

       In the summer of 2025, the airline will remove one of its jets from Rome Fiumicino, the country's largest airport. The airline blames charges being imposed in April of this year.

       "This means no growth for Rome despite the celebrations for the Jubilee year," the airline said.

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       Austria will also see less Ryanair traffic after introducing a ￡9.99 air traffic tax.

       "This exorbitant tax, coupled with Austria's very high airport and security fees, is damaging Austria's competitiveness as a tourist destination compared to lower-cost EU countries such as Sweden, Hungary and regions of Italy, all of which are abolishing aviation tax and reducing access costs to secure traffic and tourism growth," Ryanair said in a statement.