Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Monday, 2 Mar) congratulates Rob Jetten on his appointment as Prime Minister and calls on the incoming Govt to immediately scrap the Netherlands’ fake “eco” aviation tax, which has devastated Dutch connectivity by imposing uncompetitive costs simply to protect the interests of legacy carrier KLM – all at the expense of Dutch citizens, tourists and regional airports. The formation of this new Govt presents a unique opportunity to reverse years of anti‑aviation policy failures and restore the Netherlands as a competitive European travel market.

Since its introduction in 2021, the Dutch Aviation Tax has skyrocketed to €30 per passenger in 2026, a staggering +288% increase in just five years. This fake “eco” tax, which inexplicably exempts KLM’s most polluting connecting passengers, has made the Netherlands one of the least competitive aviation markets in Europe.

Dutch Regional airports are paying the highest price, with Maastricht and Groningen operating at just 30% and 26% of their pre-Covid traffic levels respectively. In 2025, Ryanair had no choice but to exit Maastricht Aachen Airport as a direct result of the excessive €30 Dutch tax, combined with the airport’s own cost increases. Meanwhile, countries such as Albania, Poland and neighbouring Sweden have all surpassed pre-Covid levels thanks to pro-growth aviation policies that support connectivity rather than destroy it. The Netherlands is now losing passengers, routes and tourism to markets that actually want them.

Ryanair now calls on Prime Minister Rob Jetten and the newly appointed coalition Govt to act quickly and scrap this fake “eco” tax, which continues to stifle traffic and harm Dutch passengers, inbound tourism, and regional airports.

Ryanair’s CMO, Dara Brady, said:

“Ryanair congratulates the new Prime Minister, Rob Jetten, on his appointment and urges his Govt to act fast to scrap the Dutch fake “eco” tax, which has exploded to over €30 in 2026. This punitive tax has driven up fares, severely harmed regional airports, and forced Dutch passengers across the border in search of affordable flights, all while protecting KLM’s most polluting connecting passengers, who remain exempt from the tax despite producing more than double the emissions of Ryanair’s cleaner, greener, point‑to‑point flights.

Scrapping this fake “eco” tax would immediately restore Dutch competitiveness, deliver lower fares for consumers, and finally rebuild the connectivity the Netherlands has lost in recent years, particularly in regional airports. With aviation taxes being abolished across several European markets – such as Sweden, Hungary, Albania and the Italian regions – now is the perfect moment for the new Govt to reverse these damaging policies and deliver a pro‑growth, pro‑tourism aviation strategy that supports regional airports, passengers, and the Dutch economy.”

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Mon, 2 Mar) added extra flights between Newcastle and Barcelona (1,200 extra seats) for the Champions League Last 16 with the first match taking place at home for Newcastle at St. James’ Park on Tues, 10 March and the second match at home for Barcelona at Spotify Camp Nou on Wed, 18 March.

Ryanair’s 2026 Champions League Last 16 extras are available to book now via the Ryanair app.

Ryanair’s Director of Comms, Jade Kirwan said:

“Ryanair has good news for football fans looking to soak up the atmosphere of the Champions League Last 16 Newcastle vs. Barcelona matches with the first leg kicking off on Tues, 10 March in Newcastle and the second on Wed, 18 March in Barcelona, with the addition of extra 1,200 seats between the two cities. We expect these extra Ryanair seats to sell out fast, so don’t miss out, head over to the Ryanair app and make sure to get them before they’re gone!”

THREE NEW ROUTES TO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, SAARBRÜCKEN & BRATISLAVA

Ryanair, Spain’s No. 1 airline, today (26 Feb) announced its Summer 2026 schedule for Alicante, with 89 routes, including three new connections to the German cities of Friedrichshafen and Saarbrücken (both operating twice weekly), and Bratislava, Slovakia (with 4 weekly flights). Ryanair’s Alicante schedule will also grow with additional capacity in 40 existing popular destinations such as Liverpool, Ibiza, Poznan, Budapest, Porto and many more, reaching over 580 weekly flights this Summer. These additional routes and frequencies will see Ryanair’s seat capacity grow in Alicante by +10%, providing its citizens and visitors with more choice at the lowest fares in Europe.

Ryanair’s Summer 2026 schedule will largely operate on the airline’s 20 Alicante-based aircraft, representing a $2bn investment, supporting over 7,300 local jobs, and strengthening Alicante’s connectivity – contributing to the region’s positioning as a major tourism hub.

New Routes	Weekly Frequencies
Friedrichshafen	2
Saarbrucken	2
Bratislava	4

While Ryanair continues to grow at Alicante Airport, Spain’s tourism sector is at a crossroads with Aena’s proposal to increase charges by +21% over the next five years. The country needs low-cost facilities and competitive pricing to attract airline investment and growth; however, Aena is only offering gold-plated facilities and excessive fees that undermine Spain’s competitiveness. Ryanair rejects these hugely damaging policies, which only benefit the Aena monopoly, and calls on the CNMC and the Ministry of Transport to lower airport charges and protect Spain’s connectivity, tourism and jobs.

Ryanair’s full Summer 2026 schedule is available to book now at Ryanair.com, with flights to/from Alicante available from as little as €27.99 to travel until October, booking by Thursday, 5^th March 2026*.

Ryanair’s Head of Communications and spokesperson in Spain, Alejandra Ruiz, said:

“We are pleased to launch Ryanair’s Alicante Summer 2026 schedule, with 89 routes, including three new connections to Friedrichshafen, Saarbrücken (Germany) and Bratislava (Slovakia), as well as extra flights to 40 popular destinations such as Liverpool, Ibiza, Poznan, Budapest, Porto and many more! This new offer, which reaches over 580 flights a week, increases Ryanair’s capacity at Alicante by +10%, giving our customers even more choice at the lowest fares.

Despite AENA’s excessive charges, which have made flying from other Spanish regions too expensive and contributed to a 1.2M seat loss in the upcoming summer season, Ryanair remains committed to Alicante, where it continues adding more flights and new routes in response to a strong demand among international and national visitors. However, if AENA’s proposal to increase charges by another 21% by 2031 is approved, it will further damage air connectivity, tourism and jobs across Spain, as airline capacity will inevitably migrate to lower cost airports elsewhere in Europe.

Ryanair’s full Summer 2026 schedule is available to book now at Ryanair.com and the Ryanair app, with flights to/from Alicante available from just €27.99 to travel until October, booking by Thursday, 5^th March 2026*.

*Promo fares subject to availability.

Ryanair, the largest airline in Poland and Europe, announced today (26 February) a record summer schedule from Lublin covering six destinations, including a brand new route to Trapani-Marsala and the return of last year’s hit – Barcelona Girona. This year’s schedule means a record-breaking offer for Lublin and a 20% increase in the number of available routes and connections year-on-year, providing passengers with the richest network in the history of Ryanair’s operations in the region.

The expanded network will also translate into further growth in passenger traffic – in 2026, Ryanair plans to serve 250,000 travellers to and from Lublin, confirming the growing popularity of the airport and the consistent development of the carrier’s operations in this region.

Ryanair’s Summer ’26 schedule for Lublin includes:

• Six routes from Lublin, including Bergamo, Dublin, Gdańsk, and London,
• One new route: Trapani-Marsala (Sicily),
• Return of Barcelona-Girona – the hit of summer 2025,
• Record-breaking offer – the largest summer network in the history of Lublin.

To mark the announcement of the Summer ’26 season for Lublin, Ryanair has prepared a special ticket sale, with prices starting from PLN 126. The offer is valid until 1 March exclusively on the Ryanair app and website.

Alicja Wójcik-Gołębiowska, Head of Comms CEE & Baltics Ryanair, said:

“We are delighted to announce a record-breaking summer schedule from Lublin, covering six routes, including a new one – Trapani Marsala – and the return of the extremely popular Barcelona Girona. The 20% increase in our offering means that residents of the region have the widest choice of connections in history, which fits perfectly with our long-term development strategy in Lublin.

To mark the announcement of the Summer ’26 season for Lublin, we have prepared a dedicated ticket sale, with prices starting from PLN 126. The offer is valid until 1 March exclusively on the Ryanair app and website.”

Marcin Kowalewski, Vice-President of Lublin Airport, said:

“We are pleased to be able to work with our partner, Ryanair, to develop our offering in response to the needs of the region’s residents, passengers and business partners. Thank you for your trust, and we are delighted that our airport is becoming an important point on the aviation map of Poland and this part of Europe. Ryanair is our trusted partner, which has been with us since the very beginning of Lublin Airport’s operations. Our cooperation, which has been going on for over a decade, is bringing further results. The new route to Sicily and the return of the connection to Barcelona are an expression of trust in our airport and recognition of the region’s potential. It is also proof of the growing popularity of Lublin Airport.”

RULING PROTECTS LOW FARES IN BELGIUM – TEST ACHATS WILL NOT APPEAL

Ryanair today (Thurs, 26 Feb) welcomed Test Achats’ decision not to appeal the recent Brussels Court ruling (28 Jan) which confirmed that Ryanair’s cabin bag policy fully complies with EU law and the CJEU’s authoritative Vueling judgment. The Court acknowledged that every Ryanair passenger is entitled to carry on board a free underseat bag of reasonable size and weight, capable of holding their personal effects and meeting all safety requirements. The Court expressly rejected the claim that airlines must include a larger overhead‑locker bag in the basic fare.

In its judgment, the Court stated “It cannot be argued that RYANAIR does not comply with Article 23 of Regulation 1008/2008… Ryanair’s bag policy meets the requirements of Regulation 1008/2008, as specified by the Court’s case law”.  The Court continued: “Neither Article 23 nor the Vueling caselaw requires an air carrier to accept free carryon baggage of a size larger than that authorised by RYANAIR…” and added “TEST ACHATS’ argument that RYANAIR is legally obliged to include… free carriage of carryon baggage to be placed in the cabin luggage compartments is not upheld… This grievance lacks merit”.

This final and binding ruling brings Belgium into line with a long list of authoritative judgments across the EU which have upheld Ryanair’s cabin bag policy, including rulings by the Italian Council of State, the Berlin Regional Court, the Berlin Higher Regional Court, as well as the Barcelona, Valencia, Valladolid, Sevilla and Madrid courts in Spain. These Courts have consistently ruled that Ryanair’s free underseat bag satisfies EU law requirements and that airlines are free to set prices for optional services such as larger cabin bags and 10kg checked bags.

The Brussels Court also dismissed Test Achats’ claims against other Ryanair policies. On Ryanair’s demand-based pricing, the Court found “This grievance lacks merit”. On seat choice, it held “It cannot be considered that the way in which RYANAIR operates is likely to significantly impair the consumer’s freedom of choice”.  On family seating, the Court concluded “It cannot be argued that RYANAIR’s practice is illegal.  This grievance lacks merit”.  With respect to Ryanair’s bag presentation, the Court stated “This is not objectionable… This grievance lacks merit”.

Ryanair’s Dara Brady said:

“We welcome Test Achats’ decision not to appeal this clear and comprehensive ruling confirming – once again and in line with EU and national courts across Italy, Germany, Spain, and the CJEU – that Ryanair’s cabin bag policy fully complies with EU law. Ryanair’s free underseat bag meets all EU legal and safety requirements, which is why Ryanair customers continue to enjoy Europe’s lowest fares by choosing only the optional services they wish to purchase. This Belgian ruling protects low fares and choice for Belgian consumers just as Governments around Europe are realising that low fare air connectivity is critical to economic growth and to Europe’s competitiveness.”

20 DESTINATIONS INCLUDING NEW TRAPANI ROUTE

Ryanair, the UK’s No.1 low-fares airline, today (Wed, 25 Feb) launched its Summer 2026 schedule at Bournemouth with 20 routes, including an exciting new route to Trapani. Ryanair has also increased frequencies on 3 other routes, including popular holiday hotspots like Alicante and Malaga, as well as a top city break destination – Edinburgh, offering Ryanair’s customers in the South with even more low-fare choice and regular connections this Summer.

This exciting new schedule is underpinned by Ryanair’s 2 Bournemouth-based aircraft, which represent a local investment of $200M.

Ryanair’s full Summer 2026 schedule is available to book now via the Ryanair App, with flights to/from Bournemouth available from as little as £29.99.

Ryanair’s Director of Communications, Jade Kirwan, said:

“Ryanair is pleased to launch our Summer 2026 schedule at Bournemouth, offering 20 routes including an exciting new route to Trapani. We will also operate extra frequencies on 3 other routes, including popular holiday hotspots like Alicante and Malaga, as well as a top city break destination – Edinburgh. Ryanair’s exciting new schedule at Bournemouth offers our customers in the South even more low-fare choice and regular connections for their Summer 2026 getaways. Our full Summer 2026 schedule is available to book now via the Ryanair App, with fares starting from as little as £29.99.”

36 DESTINATIONS INCLUDING NEW BARI ROUTE

Ryanair, the UK’s No.1 low-fares airline, today (Wed, 25 Feb) launched its Summer 2026 schedule at Bristol with 36 routes, including an exciting new route to Bari. Ryanair has also increased frequencies on 8 other routes, including popular holiday hotspots like Alicante and Malaga, as well as top city break destinations like Barcelona and Prague, offering Ryanair’s customers in the Southwest with even more low-fare choice and regular connections this Summer.

This exciting new schedule is underpinned by Ryanair’s 5 Bristol-based aircraft, which represent a local investment of $500M.

Ryanair’s full Summer 2026 schedule is available to book now via the Ryanair App, with flights to/from Bristol available from as little as £29.99.

Ryanair’s Director of Communications, Jade Kirwan, said:

“Ryanair is pleased to launch our Summer 2026 schedule at Bristol, offering 36 routes including an exciting new route to Bari. We will also operate extra frequencies on 8 other routes, including popular holiday hotspots like Alicante and Malaga, as well as top city break destinations like Barcelona and Prague. Ryanair’s exciting new schedule at Bristol offers our customers in the Southwest with even more low-fare choice and regular connections for their Summer 2026 getaways. Our full Summer 2026 schedule is available to book now via the Ryanair App, with fares starting from as little as £29.99.”

Bristol Airport’s Commercial Director, Rupert Lawrie, said:

“It’s great news for our customers that Ryanair are launching a new route to the Italian coastal town of Bari, which is sure to become a firm favourite with its beautiful promenade, historic centre and nearby beaches. And with more frequent flights added to other holiday hotspots, there is even more opportunity and greater choice for people to fly from their local airport.”