US$1.9BN INVESTMENT, 13% GROWTH, 1 NEW ROUTE

Ryanair, the UK’s No.1 low-fares airline, today (Thurs, 24 Sept) announced that it has added a 19^th based aircraft at Manchester Airport for Winter 2026, representing a US$1.9bn investment in the Northwest and supporting over 7,500 local jobs. This additional aircraft will deliver +50,000 additional seats (+1% growth) and 1 exciting new route to Warsaw Modlin. Ryanair has also increased frequencies on another 26 routes, including popular holiday hotspots like Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Madrid, as well as top city break destinations like Barcelona, Belfast, Venice, Porto, Prague and Krakow, offering Ryanair’s customers in the Northwest even more low-fare choice and regular connections this Winter.

Ryanair’s Manchester Winter 2026 schedule will deliver:

• 66 routes, incl. 1 new route to Warsaw Modlin
• 19 based aircraft (+1 vs. W25 – US$1.9bn investment in Manchester)
• Increased freq. on 26 routes
• 3.5m seats incl. +50,000 (+1%) additional seats  
• Manchester traffic grows to over 9m passengers p.a. (+13%)

To celebrate Ryanair’s 19^th aircraft and 1 new route at Manchester for Winter 2026, the airline has launched a limited time seat sale with fares from £29.99 available to book now via the Ryanair App.

Ryanair’s CMO, Dara Brady, said:

“Ryanair is pleased to announce our 19^th based aircraft at Manchester Airport for Winter 2026, which will grow our Manchester traffic by 13% and create dozens more local jobs, building on the 7,500 local jobs that Ryanair already supports.

With this new aircraft comes a new exciting Ryanair route to Warsaw Modlin, as well as extra frequencies on 26 of our existing routes, including popular sun and city break destinations, like Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Madrid, Barcelona, Belfast, Venice, Porto, Prague and Krakow, offering our customers in the North West more choice at the lowest fares in Europe, while simultaneously driving important inbound tourism.

While Ryanair is growing at Manchester, other regional airports across the UK are being hamstrung by the idiotic decision to increase APD. If the UK Govt is serious about delivering growth, they should abolish this penal and damaging APD tax, which makes the UK, particularly regional airports, uncompetitive compared to EU countries like Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, and regional Italy, which are abolishing aviation taxes and lowering access costs to stimulate traffic, tourism, and jobs growth.

The UK has gone the wrong way by raising APD to £15 per passenger, and now the Labour Govt proposes to ‘double tax’ visitors by allowing Regional Mayors to levy a tax on hotel overnights. Ryanair has already submitted plans to the Labour Govt to grow UK traffic by 27% to 80M passengers by 2030, but this growth can only be delivered if the Govt abolishes its damaging and penal APD tax, which is now the highest in Europe.

Ryanair also called on Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, to dismiss overpaid failed NATS CEO Martin Rolfe. After repeated collapses of the UK ATC system, it is time for NATS to appoint a new and competent CEO who will develop an effective backup system which can actually avoid mass flight cancellations and delays.”

Manchester Airport Chief Commercial Officer, Stephen Turner, said:

“Here at Manchester Airport we are proud to connect the North to the world, with the biggest and best route network of any UK airport outside London. Our long-standing partnership with Ryanair is a key part of that offering and that’s why I’m so pleased that it is expanding its operation here at the UK’s global gateway in the North.

Ryanair now operates exclusively from our Terminal 3 – where we’re in the middle of a very exciting improvement project. I’m really looking forward to welcoming Ryanair’s passengers this winter – particularly those who are heading to Warsaw Modlin as a new service for this year.”