RYANAIR has announced that it will be scrapping all its flights to another European destination.
From March 29, 2026, Ryanair will be axing all its flights to and from the Azores.
The airline has said that the cancellations are as a result of high airport fees.
This means the six routes that currently travel to the Azores, which works out to around 400,000 passengers each year, will be scrapped.
The airline also said that ATC charges have risen by 120 per cent since the Covid-19 pandemic and there has also been the introduction of a €2 (£1.76) travel tax.
Ryanair’s CCO Jason McGuinness said: “We are disappointed that the French airport monopoly ANA continues to raise Portuguese airport fees to line its pockets, at the expense of Portuguese tourism and jobs – particularly on the Portuguese islands.
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“As a direct result of these rising costs, we have been left with no alternative other than to cancel all Azores flights from 29 March 2026 onwards and relocate this capacity to lower cost airports elsewhere in the extensive Ryanair Group network across Europe.
“After 10 years of year-round Ryanair operations, one of Europe’s most remote regions will now lose direct low-fare flights to London, Brussels, Lisbon, and Porto due to ANA’s high airport fees and Portuguese Govt. inaction.”
The Azores are around 950 miles from Portugal itself and the islands offer a great short-haul holiday destination.
The nine volcanic islands are known for having unspoiled beauty, which includes vibrant green hills and black sandy beaches.
According to Azores Getaways, “just like Hawaii, the Azores offer visitors captivating coastlines dotted by sun-dappled beaches and stunning shores.
“But one major thing that visitors won’t find in this Portuguese paradise are throngs of tourists, crammed together and rivaling one another for a small patch of sand”.
Many of the islands have natural hot springs and thermal pools, which attract a lot of visitors.
The Azores are also ideal for people who love the outdoors, as you can go hiking in the forests, explore volcanic landscapes, swim in natural pools and even do a bit of whale and dolphin watching.
There are even a number of historic towns across the islands including Ponta Delgada, which has a number of buildings made from black and white volcanic stone.
One Sun reporter who visited the Azores said: “With its black beaches, hot springs and isolated spot in the Atlantic, the nine volcanic islands of the Azores make you feel as though you’ve stepped on to a movie set.
“We’d arrived on a speedy two-hour flight from Lisbon to the largest island in the archipelago, and gateway to the Azores, Sao Miguel, and every turn in our rental car looked picture-perfect.
“First we embarked on a kayak tour of the pea-green Furnas Lake, and snuck a peek at the 17th century mansions nestled on the quiet banks.
“Then, a quick drive up to the Pico do Ferro viewpoint rendered us speechless as we gazed down at the bubbling geysers below and the spectacular crater lake we had just navigated below.”
They added: “Many people are lured to the Azores for whale watching and the abundant marine life around the islands.
“With everything you could need to feast your eyes and your belly, it’s clear to see why it is often dubbed the Hawaii of Europe.
“Thankfully, it doesn’t come with a long-haul flight and pricey plane ticket.”
In other aviation news, a UK airport is getting new long-haul flights to one of the world’s best cities – the first in nearly 20 years.
Plus, the often-forgotten-about European country that’s getting new British Airways flights.