In a written response, an official source from the Ministry of Infrastructure expressed “surprise” at Ryanair’s claims regarding the impact of airport fees on the closure of its operations in the Azores from March 2026.
The ministry, led by Miguel Pinto Luz, countered that “the route fee applied to the Azores is the lowest in Europe and the terminal fee is among the most reduced.”
The same source noted that “the air navigation fees, charged by NAV and including the route and terminal fees, are calculated according to a mechanism defined by EUROCONTROL, common to all Member States, and directly result from operational costs and, in general, from the volume of traffic.”
The ministry added that “the terminal fee has shown a descending trajectory since 2023, decreasing from approximately 180 euros to the current 163 euros.”
Regarding the fees charged by ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, the Government emphasized that “the proposed regulated fees for 2026 do not foresee any increase compared to 2025, remaining at 8.14 euros per passenger since 2024, placing Portugal among the countries with the most competitive airport fees in Europe.”
[News updated at 16:19]
