Ryanair Invests $3 Billion in Portugal With 29 Aircraft and Six Active Airports
Ryanair announced that by winter 2025 it will expand its operations in Portugal, where it currently bases 29 aircraft across six airports. Four of these - Porto, Lisbon, Faro, and Funchal - function as permanent bases. According to the airline, this represents a $3 billion investment in Portuguese tourism and the wider economy.
They have far too much sunshine in Funchal, so everybody can come and see what the rain looks like in the west of Ireland in December.
Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, RTP Madeira
New Aircraft in Porto and Funchal Bring Total Routes to 171, Including Four New Ones
From this winter, Ryanair will station two additional aircraft: one in Porto and another in Funchal. With this expansion, the airline will operate 171 routes from Portugal, four of which are newly announced. These include Porto–Gothenburg, Porto–Warsaw, Faro–Krakow, and Funchal–Shannon, the latter connecting Madeira with Ireland’s west coast for the first time.
CEO Michael O’Leary Says Lisbon Has Reached Capacity but Criticizes Slot Restrictions
While Porto, Faro, and Funchal gain new connections, Lisbon is excluded. Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, stated that ANA, the airport authority, claims Lisbon has reached maximum capacity. He disputed this, arguing that Lisbon could handle more flights if unused slots from TAP were reassigned.
O’Leary Defends Full Privatization of TAP and Faster Montijo Airport Project
Alongside the route announcement, O’Leary repeated his criticism of the government’s approach to TAP’s privatization. He argued for selling 100% of the airline, noting that other national carriers in Europe have undergone complete privatization. On infrastructure, he supported Montijo as a more realistic option for Lisbon’s new airport compared to Alcochete, saying it could be operational much sooner.
Source: RTP Madeira, Diário de NotĂcias Madeira
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