![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-1136408765-7-0a62.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe volcanic archipelago is adrift in the Atlantic between Portugal and the US (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tThe volcanic archipelago is adrift in the Atlantic between Portugal and the US (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Breathtaking islands known as the \u2018Hawaii of Europe\u2019<\/a> are about to lose all of their Ryanair<\/a> flights as the Irish airline continues to cull routes across the continent.<\/p>\n The Irish airline said it would cancel routes to and from the Azores<\/a> unless a hike in airport taxes and landing charges was reversed.<\/p>\n The volcanic archipelago of nine islands, in the North Atlantic<\/a> Ocean, is Europe<\/a>\u2019s westernmost outpost and an autonomous region of\u00a0Portugal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ryanair CEO Michael O\u2019Leary has accused the Portuguese government of \u2018inaction\u2019 that led to a 120% rise in air traffic control fees.<\/p>\n In November, the low-cost carrier said it intends to cancel all flights from March 29.<\/p>\n If that happens, the cancellations will affect six routes, including London<\/a>, as well as Brussels<\/a>, Lisbon<\/a>, and\u00a0Porto, which carry around 400,000 passengers collectively.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tBest of Metro Deals\t\t\t<\/p>\n Get exclusive\u00a0discounts\u00a0with\u00a0Metro Deals<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 save on getaways and spa days.\u00a0Powered by Wowcher<\/p>\n Bannatyne Spa: Spa day for two with treatments, lunch & prosecco \u2014\u00a0save up to 57%\u00a0off.<\/p>\n Get deal now<\/a><\/p>\n Mystery Escape: Hotel stay with return flights from as low as \u00a392pp \u2014\u00a0save on worldwide holiday packages.<\/p>\n Get deal now<\/a><\/p>\n Beach Retreat (Lanzarote): 4* Lanzarote beach holiday with flights \u2014\u00a0save up to 58%.<\/p>\n Get deal now<\/a><\/p>\n According to Ryanair\u2019s commercial director, Jason McGuiness, it has \u2018no alternative\u2019 but to end services to the Azores and redeploy aircraft to lower-cost European airports.<\/p>\n The move will end Ryanair\u2019s presence on the islands, including the closure of its operational base in Ponta Delgada.<\/p>\n This leaves\u00a0British Airways<\/a>\u00a0operating the only UK flights, from London Heathrow<\/a>. Prices start from \u00a3113 one-way.<\/p>\n The Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure of the Azores expressed \u2018surprise\u2019 at the news<\/a> and said it contradicts previous positive discussions about investment in the region.<\/p>\n 2025 was a big year for Ryanair. The airline announced significant expansion to its winter schedule, especially in the UK, Finland and Italy.<\/p>\n It also unveiled plans to boost passenger numbers and invest more in bases like Shannon, in the west of Ireland.<\/p>\n The regional airport is due to get four new routes for summer 2026: Rome, Warsaw, Pozna\u0144 and Madrid.<\/p>\n On the other hand, there were challenges. Persistent Boeing delays saw Michael O\u2019Leary slamming the aircraft company\u2019s management for \u2018running around like headless chickens\u2019. <\/p>\n \t\t The airline\u2019s recent move to phase out physical boarding passes<\/a> has also been met with backlash<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, the most controversial announcement was Ryanair\u2019s decision to cut several routes across major destinations such as\u00a0Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, and more<\/a>.<\/p>\n The move will potentially slash around three million seats, while significantly impacting connections and passenger convenience for smaller cities.<\/p>\n In 2025, Metro spoke to Spanish journalist V\u00edctor Curr\u00e1s about the decision to suspend winter flights to and from his hometown, Vigo, which now has no direct UK connection.<\/p>\n He said: \u2018They are hurting my city.\u2019<\/p>\n As it stands, the elimination of routes to the Azores is not yet final. <\/p>\n Local media reports that negotiations will continue until the proposed withdrawal. We have contacted Ryanair for comment.<\/p>\n Why you should visit the Azores<\/p>\n Miles of vertical green fields. Rocky pillars bursting from cerulean ocean. Waterfalls that seem to pour from the sky.<\/p>\n Imagine Disneyland created a world where Avatar meets the prehistoric earth from The Land Before Time, then flashes you through it like a rollercoaster. Now imagine that at ten times the size. That is the landscape that awaits in\u00a0the Azores, a volcanic archipelago between\u00a0Portugal\u00a0and the\u00a0United States.<\/p>\n Nicknamed the \u2018Hawaii of Europe\u2019, this cluster of nine islands is an eco-adventurer\u2019s paradise, with fewer crowds than those who flock to\u00a0Madeira<\/a>\u00a0(also\u00a0touted as a Hawaii alternative<\/a>) or\u00a0Italy\u2019s Dolomites<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t As\u00a0holiday hotspots push back against tourists, the craggy rocks and thermal springs of the \u2018Islands of Colours\u2019 remain mercifully unspoilt.<\/p>\n But it won\u2019t stay that way for long.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Metro Travel team\u00a0featured The Azores\u00a0in our 2025 travel calendar<\/a>, and it was recently named Europe\u2019s number one destination for American travellers, with a 203% increase in flights from North America in July 2024 alone.<\/p>\n Our reporter Jeremy Ullmann went on a once-in-a-lifetime journey across these otherworldly islands<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n You can read all about it and save his itinerary here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tWhat’s your travel personality? Find your dream holiday and more with The Getaway Expert\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t Are you a Cultural Weekender or a Nature Nomad? Find your dream destination match and much more with The Getaway Expert<\/a>\u00a0, Metro’s new six-step guide to becoming a more confident traveller in 2026.<\/p>\n Over seven days, you’ll learn insider tips that will transform the way you travel, from how to get free stopovers in Istanbul to\u00a0converting currency in real-time using the iPhone calculator app.<\/p>\n Sign up now.<\/a><\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Ryanair](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_281647573-898e.jpg\")
\n\t\tRyanair CEO Michael O\u2019Leary speaks at a press conference in Dublin, Ireland, in January 2026 (Picture: Reuters)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DJI_0287.00_00_04_19.Still002-1055.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe Azores have many nicknames, including the \u2018Islands of Colours\u2019 (Picture: Jeremy Ullmann)<\/p>\n![\"Balloons](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-590266991.jpg\")
\n\t\tPlanning a trip in 2026? Find out where you should go first (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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