4 BASED AIRCRAFT (US$400M INVEST.) AND 43 ROUTES (INCL. 2 NEW)

Ryanair, Europe and Bulgaria’s No.1 airline, today (12^th March) celebrates its biggest-ever summer schedule for Sofia, with over 350 weekly flights across 43 international routes – including 2 new city-break destinations to Frankfurt-Hahn and Pisa. Ryanair is also increasing its Sofia offering on popular routes to Catania, Dublin, Rhodes, and Rome providing more options for incoming tourists and Bulgarian citizens who wish to travel for business, leisure, or visiting friends and family. This record schedule will be supported by 4 based aircraft (a US$400 million invest.) and support over 2,500 jobs.

Ryanair’s record Sofia Summer 2025 schedule will deliver:

• Over 350 weekly flights across 43 routes – more than any other airline
• 2 new routes – Frankfurt-Hahn and Pisa
• 4 based aircraft (including 2x Boeing 737 8-200 “Gamechangers”) – a US$400 million invest. in Bulgaria
• 2.9 million passengers p.a. (+8% growth)
• Over 2,500 indirect jobs

While other European countries such as Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden are actively reducing access costs to recover air traffic and/or secure scarce short-haul capacity growth, Bulgaria’s airports are taking the opposite approach and have increased airport charges. As a result, the recovery of Bulgaria’s aviation sector is lagging behind pre-Covid levels which is holding back the country’s economic and tourism growth.

Ryanair calls on the Bulgarian Government to urgently intervene to make Bulgarian airports more competitive and unlock the country’s untapped tourism growth potential. Subject to Bulgaria reducing its access costs, Ryanair will respond with its US$1 billion Bulgarian investment plan, which could potentially double traffic to 6 million passengers p.a., 10 based aircraft, a 2^nd base in Bulgaria (Burgas), and over 180 new highly-paid aviation jobs (300 total).

To celebrate its record Summer 2025 schedule and 2 new routes in Sofia, Ryanair has announced a 3-day seat sale, with fares starting from just €21.99, available exclusively at ryanair.com.

Speaking from Sofia, Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer, Jason McGuinness said:

“As Bulgaria’s No.1 airline, Ryanair is delighted to announce its biggest-ever schedule for Sofia, with 43 routes, more than any other airline, including exciting new city-break destinations to Frankfurt-Hahn and Pisa. This expansion, supported by a $400 million investment and 4 based aircraft, will deliver 2.9 million passengers to/from Sofia annually while supporting over 2,500 jobs.

However, Sofia and Bulgaria’s tourism growth potential is being held back by excessive access costs at Bulgarian airports. Low access costs are the catalyst for growing connectivity and tourism as demonstrated in countries such as Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, and Sweden where government (and airport) decisions to reduce access costs have directly resulted in a significant uplift in capacity and tourism this summer.

Ryanair calls on the Bulgarian Government to urgently intervene to make Bulgarian airports more competitive and unlock the country’s untapped tourism growth potential. Subject to competitive access costs, Ryanair is ready to respond with its transformative long-term growth plan for Bulgaria which will potentially double traffic to 6 million passengers p.a., 10 based aircraft (US$1 billion invest.), a 2^nd base in Bulgaria, and over 180 new highly-paid aviation jobs (300 total).

Ryanair celebrates its Sofia Summer 2025 schedule and 2 new routes by announcing a 3-day seat sale, with fares starting from just €21.99, available exclusively at ryanair.com.”