Occupied Dakhla, 31 July 2025 (SPS) – The Sahrawi Observatory for the Protection of Natural Resources and the Environment has called on the Irish airline Ryanair to withdraw "immediately" from occupied Western Sahara, rejecting any complicity in illegal activities on occupied land.
In a statement on its official website, the Sahrawi Observatory emphasized that Ryanair is at the center of a "legal, moral, and economic scandal" in Western Sahara, pointing to the sharp criticism the company has faced after launching flights to the occupied city of Dakhla, despite warnings from Sahrawi organizations.
It also highlighted the airline's financial losses, with video evidence showing poor passenger turnout, contradicting Morocco’s economic promises.
Last week, the Spanish newspaper El Independiente revealed that the flight route operated by Ryanair since last January between Madrid and the occupied city of Dakhla has recorded the lowest performance levels. The newspaper added that despite repeated requests for information, the airline refused to provide operational data for the Madrid-Occupied Western Sahara route.
Citing data from the tourism information portal Preferente, El Independiente reported that the airline continues to incur significant losses on the route it operates between Spain and occupied Western Sahara since the beginning of the year, with figures well below its usual standards.
In this context, Abdullah Al-Arabi, the Polisario Front’s representative in Spain, told APS that "Morocco’s goal in opening air routes to the occupied cities of Western Sahara is not economic, but rather an attempt to impose its illegal occupation of the territory." He pointed to the financial losses suffered by Ryanair, which is "funded by the Moroccan occupation authorities in an attempt to lure deceived investors into Sahrawi territory, in blatant violation of international law."
Related blogs
