“Ryanair will continue to expand in Portugal with the guarantee of no fuel surcharges during summer 2022, at any of its six Portuguese airports in Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Ponta Delgada, Terceira and Madeira, opening next week ”, says Michael O'Leary, CEO of the airline.

In the press release, Ryanair again attacks TAP, which it accuses of having received more than €3 billion in state aid from Portuguese taxpayers and of having blocked slots at Lisbon airport, adding that the company “now penalises its customers even further with higher tariffs and unnecessary fuel surcharges”.

“Having received more than €3 billion in state aid from Portuguese taxpayers, it is unacceptable that TAP responds to this generosity by reducing capacity, blocking unused slots at Lisbon airport, increasing air fares and now imposing surcharges of fuel to its passengers”, accuses Michael O'Leary, who considers that this “is another sign of the decline of TAP in Portugal”.

Ryanair’s CEO took the opportunity to launch another appeal to Prime Minister António Costa to free up unused slots by TAP this summer, which would allow Ryanair to bring “more visitors to Lisbon and thus accelerate the recovery of post-Covid tourism in Lisbon, as well as jobs for young people”.

“Our message to Portuguese taxpayers is simple: Fly with Ryanair, the Portuguese airline with no fuel surcharge”, concludes Michael O’Leary.