Ryanair has this week updated its upcoming 2026 summer schedule, cutting close to forty weekly flights from its Croatian network in April and a further 24 weekly rotations in May. The airline has also reduced its peak-summer flights from the country by nine weekly services. The cuts for April and May primarily affect Zadar. Notably, Ryanair has scaled back planned services to Weeze from eleven weekly to daily, London Stansted from six weekly to two, and Poznan from ten weekly to seven, among others. However, most of these reductions relate to previously filed growth for 2026 rather than frequencies operated last year, and in most cases, services will still align with summer 2025 levels.
In Zagreb, the airline will temporarily suspend its eight weekly Basel service from mid-April until mid-May due to runway works at the Swiss airport during this period. Ryanair has also reversed plans to increase frequencies to Dublin to daily flights and will instead maintain five weekly services throughout the summer, matching last year’s schedule. In addition, the carrier has dropped its planned increase on the Malaga route and will operate five weekly flights instead of six over the peak season. During April and May, alongside the Basel hiatus and Dublin adjustment, Ryanair has also rolled back its intended increase to Paphos from five weekly services to four. Despite this reduction, the route will still see one more weekly rotation than last year and will grow to five weekly from June instead.
It should be noted that these reductions are based on Ryanair’s initially filed summer 2026 schedule, rather than services operated last year. The airline will still run more flights from Croatia this summer than in 2025, however, the pace of growth has been scaled back, with May the only exception, when it will maintain four fewer weekly flights than last year. Overall, during the peak summer period, Ryanair is still set to add twelve weekly flights year-on-year in June and a further nine weekly services in both July and August. This week, the carrier implemented cuts across its global network, trimming around 200 weekly flights from its original June, July and August plan.
Looking more and more like 2026 will be a year of modest growth for Ryanair in general across its network compared to the large scale increases we saw over the past few years.
ReplyDeleteWhy though?
DeleteThat is correct. They are not getting as many new MAXes as planned initially and are more focused on maintaining profit margins rather than expanding.
DeleteThat is an opportunity for other airlines, LCC and full service carriers to gain market share at their expense.
Vueling, Transavia, Wizz, Easy, Volotea, Jet2, TUI can gain.
They are getting ready for a big expansion when the new MAXs start coming in the year after next.
DeleteI think their primary concern is to replace as many 737NGs as possible first and then expand.
DeleteBoeing's issues has made them keep these planes longer than they would normally do and FR absolutely hates paying for C and especially D-checks.
This is the correct answer to the question. None of the nonsense about the downfall of EU economies.
Delete^ Some people are saying that EU economies have collapsed for almost 4 years now.
DeleteAnd yet reality keeps proving them wrong*
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_busiest_airports_in_Europe
They did the same thing with Zadar last year. They scheduled various frequency increases in April and May and then cancelled them all. Why do they do this every year?
ReplyDeleteBecause Croatia still can't beat the seasonality. FR can put the seats on sale but HR needs to give people the reason to go there outside the three summer months
DeleteDalmatians are still on there winter breaks until June. Very seasonal market
Delete@09:03 But why schedule them in the first place?
Delete^
DeleteTo test demand. If it is greater than they thought it was they will keep the scheduled flights and be profit from them.
If the demand is soft or more often than not some other route looks more promising they will move the capacity there.
Since the flights are canceled at least two weeks in advance it costs them nothing to do that.
Is is a widespread practice.
Ryanair is being naughty again.
ReplyDeleteAre these cuts included in ZAG's 5.6% H1 growth?
Probably not… i think zagreb will have minimal growth if at best.
DeleteThey have not, however, it reduces growth to 5.3% (from 5.9%)
Delete@10:20
DeleteOne can hope but reality usually disagrees with our wishes.
Yeah but this reality you speak of relies on OU and that's worrisome.
Delete^ Your sincere concerns I'm sure will be taken into account by the aviation community.
DeleteReal question is if this is final cut? Or there will be more
DeleteWhat about ZAG-HHN?
ReplyDeleteWhat about it? It was reported before it's being discontinued.
DeleteThe days of LCCs are numbered in Europe just like North America.
ReplyDeleteThe fare difference with legacy carriers has been getting smaller and smaller and the number of popular and semi popular airports who are refusing to give them any discounts has come down by a lot.
Sure thing. In the real world (come join us!), Ryanair is the biggest airline in Europe and one of the most profitable airlines in the WORLD. Even Wizz is profitable again and growing.
Delete9:42
DeleteIf you would have followed news in a recent months, you would have known better. FR is hugely withdrawing from Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium and similar countries due to high aviation tax. They are refusing to understand that their business model is done, more or less. Passengers should understand that along. Flying for 20-30 Euro will be not possible any more. Cheaper than the taxi to the airport
Yesterday Elon Musk threatened to buy Ryanair and today we see cuts. Is this related?
DeleteYeah and at some point the EU will have to understand that they can't just keep on taxing aviation. Airlines are cutting left and right for the summer as the economic situation worsens. New tariffs by trump won't help either
Delete@09:57
DeleteRyanair is not reducing flying let alone hugely withdrawing from Spain and Italy.
They are just reducing some of the domestic routes but overall increasing their capacity in these countries.
They are just making noise in the hope that fees will be reduced or at least stop increasing.
That’s not true. EU economy is blooming, as some are convincing us
Delete@10:19
DeleteYeah, you’re right. That’s just few milion seats cutoff. Nothing major, just fine tuning
Ryanair's overall capacity and flight growth across its network during peak summer months is still higher than its growth in 2025 compared to 2024.
Delete@09:57 What nonsense are you talking about? Ryanair hugely withdrawing??
DeleteAnd then you write "If you would have followed news in a recent months"
It's always the least informed people who think they know better than anyone else.
"They are refusing to understand that their business model is done, more or less."
DeleteOMG 💀💀
"Yeah, you’re right. That’s just few milion seats cutoff. Nothing major, just fine tuning"
DeleteIt's probably pointless explaining this to you because you don't seem to understand anything, but yes it literally IS fine tuning for Ryanair. If they cut 10-12 routes in a country that looks like a huge loss of seats but those aircraft are immediately re-deployed elsewhere and new routes launched from other airports.
You don't even need to be particularly intelligent to understand this.
hehe, pritisaaaak
ReplyDeleteSo much for my hope they would announce new routes.
ReplyDeleteI have also been waiting for them to announce something new from SJJ but as time passes chances are getting slimmer.
DeleteFR can make greater profits elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteAlicante - Zagreb is now up to 3 weekly next summer!
ReplyDelete