Ryanair lowers prices in response to political turmoil

Flights to and from Catalonia decreased by up to 30% in recent months

Ryanair plane at Reus airport in south Catalonia (by ACN)
Ryanair plane at Reus airport in south Catalonia (by ACN) / ACN

ACN | Madrid

February 13, 2018 07:17 PM

In a statement made on Tuesday, the airline company Ryanair said that it has dropped its prices by 30% on flights to Catalonia over the last few months in response to the ongoing political crisis between the Catalan and Spanish governments.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Irish company, Michael O’Leary, the reason was to maintain the level of passenger traffic. In the final quarter of 2017, passenger numbers had been decreasing. O’Leary also stated that Ryanair will continue to lower prices until there is a rise in the number of tickets bought.

“An important risk”

This comes the same day that the American bank Goldman Sachs announced of an “important risk” posed to the recovery of the economy in Spain as a whole due to the ongoing dispute between Catalonia and Spain.

In a report published on Tuesday, Goldman Sachs stated that “the political events related to Catalonia continue to be an important risk.”