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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.”

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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.

The rapper and content creator have quickly become fan favourites, and despite taking home huge fees, their pay is still modest compared to some stars who have previously appeared on the show

I’m A Celeb fan favourites Aitch and Angry Ginge are taking home huge paychecks for their stints in the jungle, but compared to some bigger names that have previously been on the show, it looks like pennies.

The two joined the hit ITV show on Sunday (16 November) and within 48 hours, they had stolen the show with some fans saying they were “way too funny”. Ahead of the series starting, the rumoured salaries of this year’s cast were revealed, and Aitch was the highest paid celeb, banking £250,000, with Angry Ginge will pocket just £100,000 this year.

While these numbers are huge, it is far from the most ITV are thought to have shelled out to get a big star in the I’m A Celeb camp. Some figures have been estimated to be over £1 million, making Aitch and Angry Ginge’s fees look tiny. Here are the reportedly highest paid celebs and their fees…

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Coleen Rooney

Coleen is thought to be one of the highest paid celebs in the show’s history, having banked a rumoured £1.5 million. She appeared on I’m A Celeb in 2024, and she reached the final, ultimately coming second to McFly’s Danny Jones.

Her enormous fee was thought to be the result of having made so many headlines two years prior, when she claimed fellow WAG Rebekah Vardy had leaked posts from Coleen’s private Instagram account to the press, a move for which she was later dubbed ‘Wagatha Christie’. Rebekah sued Coleen for libel, but the case was dismissed by the courts.

Nigel Farage

The Reform politician also allegedly took home £1.5 million for his I’m A Celeb stint. In 2023, he came third, behind Sam Thompson and Tony Bellew.

Nigel’s time on the show was controversial, as he wasn’t shy about sharing his political beliefs with his campmates, causing arguments with some, particularly Fred Sirieix and Nella Rose.

When he was first introduced, he said: “I’m known for politics, for Brexit, and I’m a hero to some people and an absolute villain to millions. In the jungle you’re going to find the real me. You might like me more, you might dislike me more, but you will at least find out.”

Noel Edmonds

The Deal or No Deal star was the programme’s highest paid participant for five years, having entered the Jungle in 2018 with a fee of £600k. As he was only in the show for nine days, that meant he earned over £66k a day.

After leaving, Noel expressed his disappointment in not being on the show for longer. “I was hoping to hang around for a little bit longer,” he said. “I hadn’t even actually got into my stride.”

Boy George

Boy George, who joined the show in 2022, was said to be pocketing £800k initially, but that figure dropped to £500k. He addressed his pay, pledging to be worth every penny the ITV producers spent on him. He said: “I feel like I’ve been paid well for it so I’m going to be as Boy George as I can.”

Harry Redknapp

Eventual winner Harry Redknapp was also reportedly paid £500k for his time on the show. At the time, it was rumoured that the BBC were courting him for Strictly Come Dancing, and Harry later revealed that the I’m A Celeb fee was double that which was offered by the BBC. He said: “What happened was I’m a Celebrity came and offered me twice as much money so I went there instead!”

Caitlyn Jenner

The year after Harry went on the show, former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner also took away £500k for her time on the show. This huge fee was even addressed on the show, with Dec saying: “We’ve got reality TV royalty Caitlyn Jenner. Most people come into the jungle to lose a few pounds…” Ant then playfully added: “But she’s going to be gaining 500,000 of them according to the papers.”

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