URGES LATVIAN GOVT & RIGA AIRPORT TO REDUCE ACCESS COSTS TO GROW LATVIAN TRAFFIC, TOURISM & JOBS

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Thurs, 9 Oct) announced it will reduce its Riga Winter ‘25 capacity by 160,000 seats (-20%) and cut 7 international routes – Aarhus, Berlin, Edinburgh, Gdansk, Gothenburg, Memmingen, and Paris Beauvais due to rising access costs (airport fees, aviation tax), which make Riga less competitive as traffic remains below pre-Covid levels (90%).

Since Ryanair opened its Riga base in Nov ‘21, access costs have risen, while competitor countries such as Italy, Hungary, Poland, and Albania are abolishing aviation taxes and reducing airport charges to drive traffic and tourism growth. Ryanair has presented an ambitious growth plan to the Latvian Govt to double Riga’s traffic by +1.7m passengers (to 3.4m), base two additional aircraft (US$200m incremental investment) and launch 14 new routes over the next five years. However, this growth can only be delivered if Riga Airport and the Latvian Govt reduce airport charges and abolish the aviation tax.

Ryanair’s CCO, Jason McGuinness, said:

“Ryanair regrets being forced to reduce our Riga Winter ‘25 capacity by 20% (160,000 seats) and cancel 7 international routes. These cuts follow rising access costs at Riga Airport – which have increased by 15% since Ryanair opened its Riga base in 2021. Uncompetitive access costs only serve to undermine Latvia’s traffic recovery – which remains 10% below pre-Covid levels – and has directly resulted in the loss of routes, reduced connectivity.

While countries like Albania, Poland, Sweden, and Italy are lowering access costs and abolishing aviation taxes to stimulate traffic growth, rising costs at Riga Airport is stifling expansion and putting hundreds of jobs at risk. Recently the Latvian Govt. and Riga Airport have committed to improving the competitiveness of Latvian Aviation, subject to which, Ryanair will prioritise Latvia for more low-fare seats, new routes, and additional based aircraft.

We are working with Riga Airport and the Latvian Govt. and hope in the near future to grow traffic, tourism, and jobs.

CALLS ON THE LITHUANIAN GOVT TO REDUCE ACCESS COSTS TO SUPPORT GROWTH

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Wed, 8 Oct) confirmed it will deliver zero growth in Lithuania for Winter ’25, as rising airport access costs continue to block recovery, limit connectivity and prevent the country from unlocking its full potential for tourism, jobs, and economic growth.

While competing European countries such as Albania, Hungary, Poland, Sweden, and Italy are reducing costs and abolishing aviation taxes to stimulate airline traffic, Lithuania is moving in the opposite direction. Instead of lowering costs to drive recovery, Lithuanian Airports have inexplicably chosen to increase airport charges – with Vilnius up +30% since 2023 – leaving the airport uncompetitive and traffic still -2% below pre-Covid levels.

This lack of competitiveness is particularly damaging in Vilnius, where the opening of the new terminal – which has doubled capacity at the Airport – should represent a huge opportunity for Lithuania to expand connectivity, develop inbound tourism and create jobs. However, rising access costs are stifling this opportunity, and if the Government acts now to make Lithuania more competitive and reduces airport fees – especially at Vilnius – Ryanair is ready to deliver its transformational growth plan which will double traffic from 1.4m to 2.8m seats, add 10 new routes and base 3 additional aircraft (5 tot.), creating jobs and boosting tourism in Lithuania’s capital city.

Ryanair’s CCO, Jason McGuinness, said:

“It’s disappointing that Ryanair will deliver zero growth in Lithuania for Winter ’25, which is entirely the result of the rising access costs at Lithuanian airports – with Lithuanian Airports choosing to raise charges at Vilnius by 30% and Palanga by 7%. These increases, at a time when other European countries are cutting costs to drive growth, are leaving Lithuania hopelessly uncompetitive, slowing its recovery and resulting in reduced connectivity, forcing the reallocation of capacity to faster-growing, lower-cost markets across Europe.

The opening of the expanded Vilnius terminal has doubled available capacity at the Airport, providing a clear opportunity to boost connectivity, tourism, and jobs – but rising access costs are holding Vilnius back, preventing the airport and Lithuania from turning this potential into tangible growth and enhanced connectivity.

While countries like Albania, Hungary, Poland, Sweden, and Italy are reducing access costs to stimulate traffic growth, regrettably Lithuania is going in the opposite direction. Ryanair urges the Lithuanian Govt. to reduce access costs and become far more competitive to unlock Ryanair’s ambitious growth plan – doubling Vilnius traffic from 1.4m to 2.8m seats p.a., creating jobs, and boosting tourism and economic growth. Without urgent action, fares for Lithuanian passengers will rise and Ryanair will continue to allocate aircraft and capacity to more competitive growth orientated markets elsewhere in Europe.”

CALLS ON ESTONIAN GOVT TO REDUCE ACCESS COSTS TO GROW TRAFFIC & TOURISM

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Wed, 8 Oct) announced it will reduce its Tallinn Winter ‘25 capacity by 40%, resulting in the loss of 110,000 seats and 5 international routes – Milan Bergamo, Paphos, Rome Ciampino, Venice Treviso, and Vienna – on top of the 45% capacity cut (-230,000 seats) already announced to Tallinn’s Summer ’25 schedule. These cuts are the direct results of Tallinn Airport’s 70% increase in airport charges, which is harming Estonia’s competitiveness as a destination, at a time when other countries like Sweden, Hungary, Poland, and regional Italy, are actively lowering costs to grow traffic and tourism.

Ryanair’s record growth in these cost-competitive markets demonstrates the immediate impact that lower access costs deliver. If the Estonian Govt and Tallinn Airport act now to reduce access costs and make the airport competitive again, Ryanair is ready to deliver on its ambitious growth proposal to double capacity by 700,000 seats to 1.4 million p.a., substantially growing Estonia’s traffic, tourism, and jobs.

Ryanair’s CCO, Jason McGuinness, said:

“Tallinn Airport’s illogical decision to increase airport charges by 70% at a time when other European airports and countries are reducing charges to stimulate investment and travel has forced Ryanair to reduce its Tallinn Winter’25 capacity by 40%, resulting in the loss of 110,000 seats and 5 international routes. When combined with this Summer’s cuts Tallinn hast lost over 340,000 Ryanair seats across the full year. These cuts will severely damage traffic, jobs, and tourism growth in Estonia.

While competitor countries such as Albania, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Sweden are reducing airport fees to stimulate growth – to which Ryanair has responded with more routes, more seats, and more jobs – Tallinn is heading in the opposite direction leading to less direct flights, less low-fare seats, and less inbound tourism.

Ryanair again calls on the Estonian Govt and Tallinn Airport to reverse the 70% charge increase and follow the lead of competitor countries by adopting lower access costs. If this happens, Ryanair stands ready to deliver significant growth in Tallinn, doubling capacity to 1.4m seats p.a., boosting tourism and supporting Estonia’s economic recovery. If the Govt fails to seize this opportunity, fares for Estonian passengers will inevitably rise and Ryanair will be forced to keep reallocating capacity to more competitive growth orientated EU markets.”

Ryanair, Spain’s No.1 airline, today (Wed, 8 Oct) announced that it will reduce its Summer 2026 schedule to Regional Spain by 1.2m seats (-10%). Ryanair will also stop all flights to/from Asturias Airport, as the Aena Monopoly continues to raise its uncompetitive airport fees at Spanish (mostly empty) regional airports. These regrettable cuts follow Ryanair’s 1m seat cuts to Regional Spain for Winter 2025, and are a direct result of the Spanish Govt’s failure to stop Aena’s monopoly fee increases, particularly at under-used Regional airports, and its failure to reverse Minister Bustinduy’s illegal bag fines, despite promising to do so. While Minister Bustinduy continues to illegally interfere in the pricing of low-fare airlines (in breach of EU law), he refuses to take any action against overcharging by a number of Spanish OTAs (online travel agencies) who continue to overcharge and harm unsuspecting Spanish consumers.

The Spanish Govt is the majority shareholder in the Aena Airport Monopoly and has appointed an ex-politician (Maurici Lucena) to run it. Despite this control, the Aena Monopoly continues to raise fees at Spain Regional Airports, making them uncompetitive and harming growth. Aena’s monopoly approach to pricing is that small underused Regional airports should charge similar rates as busy main airports like Madrid, Barcelona, Palma and Malaga. As a result, Ryanair is switching seat capacity to these bigger Spanish airports (where passenger demand and air fares are higher). When faced with high fees at Regional airports, Ryanair has moved to lower cost airports elsewhere in Morocco, Italy, Croatia, Albania, and Sweden, where Govts are abolishing Enviro Taxes and lowering Airport fees.

Ryanair submitted two growth plans — including for some of the airports we are now closing — to Aena and the Spanish Government. These plans would have increased traffic by 40% by 2030, reaching 77 million passengers per year. However, the Spanish Government chose to ignore the proposals, raise airport charges, and sacrifice potential growth and job creation.

Regional Spain can grow, but it needs a Govt committed to stimulating growth by lowering the cost of air travel to/from the Regions of Spain, and a Consumer Minister who actually protects consumers by ending OTA overcharging, while respecting both EU law, and precedent ECJ Court Rulings (the Vueling Case 2014), which clearly prevent national Govts from interfering in the way airlines price seats, or carry-on bags.

Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary, said:

“AENA and its major shareholder, the Spanish Govt, continue to harm regional traffic growth, tourism and jobs in Spain through high airport fees and unjustified price increases. AENA should be lowering airport fees at underused Regional airports, but instead they plan to increase them by 7%, the highest fee increase for over a decade. The Spanish Govt has failed to stimulate Regional tourism and jobs, as it continues to protect the Aena Monopoly’s high fee operations. We regret that these fee increases make Regional Spanish airports uncompetitive, and this is why Ryanair is switching 1.2m more seats away from Regional airports in Spain in S2026, to some of Spain’s bigger airports, but mainly to lower-cost competitor airports in Italy, Morocco, Croatia, Sweden, and Hungary.

Furthermore, despite Govt promises to reverse Minister Bustinduy’s illegal bag fines, Prime Minister Sanchez has taken no action for 2 years now. Bustinduy’s bag fines are clearly illegal, as they are in breach of EU Regulation on airline pricing freedom, and they are in breach of the ECJ Ruling the Vueling case, which established that airlines are free to charge for carry-on bags, as long as every passenger is allowed to bring a small bag “Maleta Gratis” for their personal items. While Minister Bustinduy pursues his illegal bag fines, he has taken zero action against real consumer harm, such as the overcharging of Spain’s consumers by a number OTAs. Ryanair has written 8 letters to Minister Bustinduy between April 2024 and October 2025, calling on him to take action, but he continues to stand idly by as consumers are being overcharged by OTAs. Minister Bustinduy is not just incompetent, but his bag fines are in clear breach of EU law and ECJ Rulings. If Prime Minister Sanchez has any respect for EU law, then he should dismiss Bustinduy, and cancel these illegal bag fines.

Ryanair remains one of Spain’s biggest overseas investors, and we continue to invest heavily in Spain, with 2 new Maintenance Facilities in Madrid and Seville. We will shortly open our new Airline Training Centre in Madrid. While we wish to continue to grow air traffic and connectivity to Regional Spain, we are prevented from doing so by the Aena’s Monopoly high airport fees and the failure of Prime Minister Sanchez and his Govt, to restrain this overcharging Airport Monopoly, which they own and control. We look forward to returning to Growth in Regional Spain, when Aena fees are reduced, making them competitive with lower-cost airports elsewhere in Morocco, Italy, Croatia, Hungary and other EU States, who are abolishing Aviation Taxes and lowering airport fees to grow their traffic and tourism industries.”

9 NEW ROUTES TO PARDUBICE, OSTRAVA, BRATISLAVA AND MORE

Ryanair, Spain’s No. 1 airline, today (2 October) announced its 2025/2026 winter schedule for Malaga, with 83 routes, including 9 exciting new destinations: Pardubice, Ostrava, Brno (Czech Republic); Bratislava (Slovakia); Lübeck, Münster (Germany); Stockholm Västeras (Sweden); Teesside (England); and Warsaw (Poland). In addition, Ryanair is adding extra flights to popular routes such as Copenhagen, Dublin, Fez, Milan and many more. These new routes and frequencies will increase Ryanair’s capacity in Malaga during the winter season by 7%, offering Malaga residents and visitors more options and regular connections at the lowest fares in Europe.

Ryanair’s flight schedule for the winter season 2025/2026 will be largely operated with the 15 aircraft based in Malaga, representing an investment of $1.5 billion, supporting over 6,800 local jobs and boosting year-round tourism in Malaga.

While Ryanair is expanding at Malaga Airport this winter, the airline has been forced to cut 1 million seats from its overall winter 2025/2026 schedule in Spain due to the excessive 6.62% increase in AENA charges and ineffective ‘incentive plans’, which are making regional airports financially unviable. Ryanair has long championed and invested in regional airports, supporting low-cost access to boost tourism and employment, but it cannot justify continued investment in airports whose growth is blocked by uncompetitive charges.

Ryanair’s full winter 2025/2026 schedule is now available for booking on Ryanair.com, with flights to and from Malaga starting from just €24.99 and for travel until the end of March 2026.

Alejandra Ruiz, Head of Communications of Ryanair in Spain, said:

“Ryanair is delighted to present its winter 2025/2026 flight schedule in Malaga, with 83 routes, including 9 exciting new destinations such as Pardubice, Ostrava and Brno (Czech Republic); Bratislava (Slovakia); Lübeck and Münster (Germany); Stockholm Västeras (Sweden); Teesside (England); and Warsaw (Poland), as well as additional flights on 24 existing routes, including Copenhagen, Dublin, Fez, Milan and many more. This new flight offering increases Ryanair’s capacity in Malaga by 7%, giving our customers even more options at the lowest fares.

Despite the excessive AENA charges, which have contributed to the loss of *2 million seats in 2025 in other regions, Ryanair remains committed to Malaga, with 15 aircraft based at the airport, supporting over 6,800 local jobs.

Ryanair’s full winter 2025/2026 schedule is now available for booking on Ryanair.com, with flights to and from Malaga available from just €24.99 for travel until the end of March 2026”.

RECORD BREAKING SCHEDULE: 31 AIRCRAFT, 120 ROUTES (5 NEW) & 19M PAX P.A.

Ryanair, Europe and Italy’s No.1 airline, today (Thurs, 2 Oct) announced three additional based aircraft – 2 more in Bergamo & 1 in Malpensa – for Winter ’25.  This year’s record-breaking Winter schedule at Milans’ Airports will see a record 31 based aircraft – representing a US$3.1bn invest. – 120 routes (5 new) and will deliver 19m million passengers annually (+4%), supporting over 15,400 jobs across the Lombardy region, further strengthening Ryanair’s position as the leading carrier in Northern Italy.

Building on this record schedule, Ryanair has also added extra flights on almost 40 popular existing routes across Bergamo & Malpensa on both international and vital domestic routes, giving customers throughout Europe and Italy even greater choice at Europe’s lowest fares positioning Milans’ airports as a key gateway for leisure and business travel across the wider Region and Nationwide.

Ryanair’s Milan Winter 2025 schedule will deliver:

• 31 based aircraft (US$3.1bn invest.) – 22 (+2) in Bergamo and 9 (+1) in Malpensa, incl. 8 Next-Gen aircraft.
• 120 total routes (incl. 5 new):
• 80 in Bergamo, incl. incr. freq. on 30 existing routes like Amman, Trapani, Warsaw & the reinstated Pescara.
• 40 in Malpensa, incl. 5 new routes to Bratislava, Gothenburg, Pescara, Warsaw and Plovdiv.
• 23 domestic routes to Milan, incl. increased frequency on 6 routes.
• 400,000 additional low fare seats.
• 19M passengers p.a. (+4%).
• Supp. over 15,400 local jobs in the Lombardy Region, incl. over 900 highly paid aviation jobs.

Ryanair continues to invest and grow across cost competitive regions in Italy, offering lower fares than any other airline. However, the regressive Municipal Tax (incl. the recent €0.50pdp incr. on non-EU flights at Italy’s biggest airports, incl. Bergamo & Malpensa) continues to damage the country’s traffic, tourism, and jobs growth at a time when other EU countries like Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, and Albania have abolished aviation taxes, and reduced airport fees to attract growth. Ryanair calls on the Italian Govt to scrap the Municipal Tax at all Italian airports and follow the lead of the Abruzzo, Calabria, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Sicily Regions which have all scrapped the Municipal Tax to deliver growth. If removed, Ryanair will respond with an additional 40 aircraft (+US$4bn invest.), 20m additional annual passengers, 250 new routes – supporting 15,000 additional jobs throughout Italy.

Ryanair DAC CEO, Eddie Wilson, said:

“Ryanair continues to deliver record growth across Italy, investing in key regions like Lombardy. This Winter marks a record-breaking schedule with three additional based aircraft (+2 in Bergamo & +1 in Malpensa), bringing our total Milan fleet to 31 aircraft – a US$3.1bn invest. – operating 120 routes across Bergamo and Malpensa, including 5 new from Malpensa to Bratislava, Gothenburg, Pescara, Warsaw, and Plovdiv, along with increased frequencies on 30 popular Bergamo destinations – incl. Amman, Athens, Agadir, Edinburgh, Trapani & Warsaw, as well as the reinstated Pescara route – underlining our commitment to enhancing both international and domestic low-fare connectivity as well as inbound tourism.

This significant investment underpins our long-term strategy of supporting the growth of Italy’s regional airports, as evidenced by the 19m passengers (+4%) we will deliver in Milan this year – boosting inbound tourism to Lombardy and maintaining year-round international connectivity. We’ve worked closely with the SACBO and SEA teams to make this growth possible – proving that competitive conditions and efficient operations are key to unlocking real growth. Our partnership with Milans’ airports stretches back over two decades and, after years of successful collaboration, we remain committed to continuing to grow in the Region.

To further build on this success and unlock even greater opportunities for Italian aviation, tourism and jobs, Ryanair again calls on the Italian Govt to scrap the Municipal Tax across all Italian airports to stimulate further traffic, tourism, and jobs growth. If removed, Ryanair will respond with an additional 40 aircraft (+US$4bn investment), 20 million additional annual passengers, 250 new routes and 15,000 additional jobs throughout Italy.”

 Ryanair today (Thurs, 2 Oct) released its Sept 2025 traffic stats as follows: