OVER 30M PASSENGERS DELAYED BY ATC MISMANAGEMENT & STAFF SHORTAGES IN 2025

RYANAIR CALLS ON URSULA VON “DERLAYED-AGAIN” TO REFORM EU’S BROKEN ATC OR QUIT!

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Fri, 3 Oct) called on EU President, Ursula von “Derlayed-Again” to urgently reform the EU’s broken ATC services or quit. This comes as Ryanair released its September “ATC Delays League”, showing that France, Spain, Germany, the UK, and Greece are the worst ATCs for delays/cancellations because their Govts refuse to ensure their ATC services are properly staffed and managed.

There is no excuse for these worst ATC delays when Bulgaria, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark are delivering efficient ATC services (without mismanagement or staff shortages) and are responsible for the fewest ATC delays/cancellations in Europe this year as a result.

Ryanair has long called for EU ATC reform, but Ursula von “Derlayed-Again” ignores these repeated ATC delays/cancellations, which have disrupted over 30m EU passengers so far this year. Ryanair is now calling on EU passengers to visit the ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’ webpage and demand that Ursula von “Derlayed-Again” take urgent action to reform the EU’s broken ATC by (1) mandating that national ATC services are fully staffed for the first wave of morning flights or face fines, and (2) protecting overflights (and the Single Market) during national ATC strikes.

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“It is inexcusable that Europe’s worst performing ATCs in France, Spain, Germany, the UK, and Greece continue to inflict so many avoidable flight delays/cancellations on millions of Ryanair passengers. EU airlines have already offered the solution to these avoidable ATC delays/cancellations; (1) mandate that national ATC services are fully staffed for the first wave of morning flights or face fines, and (2) the EU Comm must act to protect overflights during national ATC strikes. Yet, EU President Ursula von “Derlayed-Again” sits in Brussels doing nothing to protect EU passengers or the Single Market for air travel.

EU ATC needs reform. If Ursula von “Derlayed-Again” won’t deliver it, then she should step aside and let someone competent do her job.”

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:

CALLS ON GOVT TO SCRAP CIAMPINO FLIGHT CAP, FREEZE FEES & ABOLISH MUNICIPAL TAX TO GROW ROME TRAFFIC/TOURISM/JOBS

Ryanair, Italy’s No.1 airline, today (Tue, 30 Sept) announced that it will reduce its Rome-based aircraft by 1 unit (from 17 to 16 aircraft) for W25 and will deliver zero traffic growth in Rome this winter. This is due to the artificial flight cap at Ciampino (just 65 flights per day), AdR’s inflation busting airport fee rises (Ciampino +44% & Fiumicino +15% by 2028), and the Govt’s harmful decision to increase the Municipal Tax at Rome’s airports from Apr ‘25 – which are already far higher than other Italian airports.

Ryanair continues to invest and grow traffic & tourism elsewhere in Italy, offering lower fares than any other airline, but the Govt continues to harm Rome’s traffic, tourism, and jobs growth with its expensive Municipal Tax, at a time when other EU countries like Sweden, Hungary, Albania, and some Italian regions, have abolished aviation taxes, and reduced airport fees to grow their traffic and tourism.

To grow Rome traffic/tourism, Ryanair calls on the Italian Govt to immediately abolish Ciampino’s artificial daily flight cap of 65 flights (just 4 per hour) and scrap the Municipal Tax at all Italian airports – follow the lead of Abruzzo, Calabria, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trapani who scrapped these taxes in 2025 to release growth – and urges AdR to cut its excessive Rome airport fees to make Italy competitive again and drive traffic growth. If these taxes are scrapped and AdR high fees cut, Ryanair will respond with a $4bn investment in Italy, adding 40 new aircraft, over 20m new passengers p.a., 250 new routes and 1,500 additional jobs in Italy’s regions, boosting tourism, jobs, and economic growth nationwide.

Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary said:

“Rome’s high access costs, incl. the harmful Municipal Tax, and (way above inflation) airport fee increases (+44% in Ciampino, +15% in Fiumicino), together with the artificial Ciampino flights cap, have forced Ryanair to reduce one Rome-based aircraft for Winter ’25, which means zero traffic growth in Rome this winter.

While Ryanair continues to grow elsewhere in Italy offering Europe’s lowest fares, these harmful tax and fee policies make Rome uncompetitive compared to competitor EU markets like Sweden, Hungary, Albania, and many Italian regions, all of whom have scrapped aviation taxes and lowered airport fees to unlock traffic growth.

Ryanair calls on the Govt to urgently scrap the artificial Ciampino daily flight cap (just 2 return flights per hours!), and abolish the harmful Municipal Tax at all Italian airports like other EU States including Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia & Albania already have. Ryanair also calls on Aeroporti di Roma to reduce their high airport fees in Ciampino and Fiumicino so that Rome’s traffic, tourism, and jobs can grow.

These measures would enable Rome’s airports to enjoy rapid traffic, tourism, and jobs growth in the coming years as Ryanair will respond with a $4bn investment in Italy, adding 40 new aircraft, over 20m passengers p.a. across 250 new routes and 1,500 more Ryanair jobs in Italy’s regions.”

RYANAIR WILL RESTART 22 LOW-FARE ROUTES ONLY WHEN T1 AVAILABILITY AND S26 SLOTS ARE CONFIRMED

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Tues, 30 Sept) announced it will not restart low-fare flights this winter to/from Tel Aviv (a loss of 1m seats and 22 routes), due to Ben Gurion Airport’s refusal to confirm Ryanair’s historic slots for S26 (summer schedules are now on sale) and their refusal to confirm that low-cost T1 will remain open during future security issues.

Ryanair’s low-fare Tel Aviv services were repeatedly disrupted this summer, due to security concerns over Israeli airspace and Tel Aviv Airport’s repeated decisions (3 times) to close the low-cost T1 and force Ryanair into high-cost T3. Low-fare seats that were sold by Ryanair on the basis of low-cost T1 facilities were rendered loss making, due to the high costs in T3.

Ryanair sincerely regrets that it cannot launch its winter schedule to Tel Aviv, which would offer 22 low-fare routes (which are loss-making in the winter) without the certainty that it can continue to operate these flights for S26 (S26 schedules are already on sale). Despite protecting these historic slots during Covid and previous security disruptions in Israel, Tel Aviv Airport have refused in written correspondence to confirm Ryanair’s S26 slots, or to confirm that it will in future keep the low-cost T1 open (a facility that it has repeatedly closed) which would avoid forcing low-fare airlines, like Ryanair, into the high-cost T3 facility, while demanding that Ryanair pay the higher costs of T3. Ryanair will no longer accept these higher costs, when T1 is being closed solely for the convenience of Tel Aviv Airport.

A Ryanair spokesperson said:

“We are fed up having our low-fare flights repeatedly messed around by Ben Gurion Airport. It is absurd that they refused to confirm our summer 2026 slots, when summer 2026 schedules are already on sale. We appreciate that many airlines – including Ryanair – cancelled their flights to/from Tel Aviv this summer, but only because it was unsafe to operate there. We are not willing to restart loss-making flights to/from Tel Aviv for the winter season, without the certainty that our summer 2026 historic slots have been confirmed. It is also unacceptable to Ryanair and our low-fare, price sensitive passengers, that our growth at Tel Aviv Airport is dependent upon the availability of the low-cost T1 facility. However, Tel Aviv Airport keeps closing this facility for its own convenience, forcing Ryanair, and other low-cost airlines, into the more expensive T3 – where we do not want to be – but they refuse to honour the low-cost agreement, which T1 facilities provide. We have no difficulty working with Tel Aviv Airport to temporarily move to T3 – if that suits the needs and convenience of Ben Gurion Airport – but these services should continue to be costed at the T1 rates, and not at the T3 rates. Ryanair has sold thousands of low-fare seats, which are contingent upon the low-cost facilities in T1 remaining open and available.

Until such time as Ben Gurion Airport confirm our historic S26 slots, and confirm that they will in future keep T1 open, we will not restart low-fare flights to/from Tel Aviv this winter. We regret this means that Tel Aviv will no longer have access to Ryanair’s much lower fares, or to the 22 routes we operated last winter, but until such time as Tel Aviv are willing to honour their low-cost agreements with Ryanair, we are unwilling to restart flights there. Should Ben Gurion wish to confirm our summer 2026 slots and confirm that they will honour our low-cost T1 agreement, then we will look forward to returning to Tel Aviv with Ryanair’s services, offering 22 routes at fares which no other airline in Tel Aviv can match, or compete with.”

RYANAIR PRIME MEMBERS ENJOY OVER €600 IN SAVINGS

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Tue, 30 Sept) released its exclusive “Prime Member” offer for October, giving members €50 off return flights operating between 4 November to 18 December. This exclusive 48hr sale is available only to Ryanair Prime members, so sign up before this 2-day sale goes live on Wed, 1 October, to save on fares and other Prime Member benefits, like free reserved seats and free travel insurance.

This October Prime Member sale is the seventh monthly seat sale since Ryanair launched its €79 subscriber discount scheme in March, with Prime members accumulating over €600 in savings to date for a 12-month membership cost of just €79. Ryanair’s seventh-monthly seat sales alone saved Prime members €310, four times €79 cost of Prime membership.

Ryanair CMO, Dara Brady said:

“We’re excited to launch our October Prime Member Seat Sale, going live on Wednesday, 1 October for just 48 hours. Prime members can now enjoy an incredible €50 off return flights for travel between Tuesday, 4 November and Thursday, 18 December, the perfect time to escape for a winter getaway or soak up Europe’s Christmas markets.

With Prime, members unlock unbeatable value all year round, from exclusive flight and seat savings to great deals on travel extras, all for just €79 a year. Don’t miss out. Sign up to Prime today and start enjoying the same amazing savings and benefits already loved by thousands of members.”