Ryanair Cuts Major European Routes Ahead of 2026
Ryanair will cut 15 European destinations in 2026 as it scales back operations across several key markets.
The airline continues to push against rising airport taxes, which it says make many routes unviable.
Spain Faces Major Route Reductions
Ryanair confirmed in August that it would remove two million seats across Spain.
The airline will stop flying to;
- Santiago de Compostela,
- Vigo, Valladolid,
- Jerez, and
- Tenerife North.
Rising airport charges have intensified tensions with Aena. Michael O’Leary said high regional costs make some Spanish routes unsustainable.
Germany Sees Significant Route Cuts
Ryanair will cut 24 routes to and from Germany. These cuts remove nearly 800,000 seats from the schedule. The airline says high taxes and strong fares from competitors make Germany difficult.
Routes from
- Berlin,
- Hamburg,
- Cologne,
- Frankfurt-Hahn,
- Dortmund,
- Dresden,
- Leipzig,
- Memmingen, and
- Baden-Württemberg will end.
France Operations Will Shrink Further
Ryanair has already removed 25 routes from France for winter 2025. It also cancelled all flights to Strasbourg, Brive, and Bergerac. The airline now plans to exit France’s regional airports in summer 2026.
New air taxes have increased by 180 percent, making many French airports unviable. Ryanair says demand and margins cannot support continued operations under these costs.
Ryanair will also cut 1.2 million seats from Spain next summer and end all Asturias flights. The airline says it will move capacity to regions with lower taxes. Italy will gain more routes after several regions removed aviation taxes.
New Digital-Only Boarding Pass Policy
Ryanair will stop accepting printed boarding passes. All passengers must use a digital pass on the myRyanair app. The airline expects the change to save 300 tonnes of paper each year. Ryanair says operational updates will reach passengers faster through the app.
Staff will still assist travellers whose phones fail, provided they checked in online two hours before arrival. Exceptions remain for Morocco, Turkey (except Dalaman), and Tirana until March 2026.