This time, Vueling would be the airline connecting the two cities after submitting a bid in the tender launched by the Government of Aragon and Zaragoza City Council to expand the airport's destinations. The company is the proposed successful bidder for this route, although it must still complete the administrative procedures and sign the contract for its return to become definitive.
The restoration of flights between Zaragoza and Alicante is part of the plan to expand air connections presented this Thursday by the regional minister for Housing, Public Works, Logistics and Territorial Cohesion, Octavio López, and the director general of Transport, David Sánchez Fraile. In total, 25 bids from six airlines have been received for 19 of the 29 lots put out to tender, including the Alicante route, which has attracted Vueling's interest. If the awards are finalized, from April 2027 Zaragoza Airport will have connections to 21 destinations in 11 countries, compared with the current 11 destinations in six countries.
WHY ZARAGOZA LOST ITS DIRECT FLIGHTS TO ALICANTE IN 2011
To understand the importance of the possible return of this route, it is necessary to go back to October 25, 2011, when Ryanair confirmed the cancellation of the air connection between Zaragoza and Alicante. The decision was not due to a lack of interest in the destination, but to a dispute between the Irish airline and AENA over the requirement to use jet bridges to board and disembark passengers at Alicante Airport.
The airline considered this system an unnecessary cost compared with boarding on foot and announced the removal of 31 routes from its Alicante base, including the one connecting the city with the Aragonese capital. According to estimates released by Ryanair at the time, the cuts could result in the loss of 2.5 million passengers annually and nearly 2,000 jobs, as well as around 30 million euros for AENA in airport fees and commercial revenue.
The dispute escalated to the point that Ryanair's then chief executive, Michael O'Leary, described AENA's actions as "reprehensible" and announced an 80% reduction in the airline's aircraft based in Alicante, which would fall from 11 to two that winter. Although he left the door open to restoring the connections if boarding on foot was allowed again, the direct route to Zaragoza disappeared and could now return 15 years later, operated by another airline.
WHEN COULD FLIGHTS BETWEEN ZARAGOZA AND ALICANTE RETURN
The return of this connection still depends on several administrative procedures. Following the procurement committee meeting held this Thursday, the companies proposed as successful bidders must prove their financial solvency, make the required deposits and submit the necessary guarantees. Once these requirements have been met, the contracts are expected to be awarded in November and signed in December.
If the established deadlines are met, flights between Zaragoza and Alicante could begin operating from April 2027, coinciding with the start of the summer season. For now, the schedules and specific operating dates have not been confirmed, so it will be necessary to wait for the contract to be finalized and for the airline to announce its schedule.
In this way, Zaragoza could restore an air connection it lost 15 years ago, once again facilitating direct travel between the Aragonese capital and the Costa Blanca, this time with Vueling instead of Ryanair.
