Ryanair Launches Extensive Winter Flight Schedule with Thirty New European Routes and Key Base Expansion Across Poland and Italy

Crystal Travel | Travel News | 10 July 2026

Ryanair expands its Winter 2026 network with more than 30 new European routes, additional aircraft and stronger connections across Poland, Italy and the UK.

Ryanair Announces Major Winter 2026 Expansion Across Europe

Ryanair has confirmed a major expansion of its Winter 2026 schedule, adding more than 30 new routes across Europe as part of a wider push to strengthen its network in Poland, Italy and beyond. The changes bring additional aircraft, new city connections and significant passenger growth to several key airports, with Warsaw firmly at the centre of the airline's latest strategy.

Warsaw Emerges as the Focal Point of Ryanair's Winter Growth

Ryanair has announced a record winter schedule across Warsaw's two airports, Modlin and Chopin, which together will offer 46 routes this season, including 12 entirely new connections. Two extra aircraft will be based at Warsaw Modlin, taking the airport's fleet to eight, with annual passenger numbers expected to surpass 3.2 million. New routes from Modlin include Bratislava, Bristol, Manchester, Shannon and Zagreb, giving UK travellers fresh options for reaching Poland this winter.

Italy Set to Benefit from Expanded Warsaw Connections

Warsaw Chopin Airport is also seeing substantial growth, with seven new routes lifting its total network to 16 destinations. Six of these will link the Polish capital directly with Italian cities, including Bari, Bologna, Catania, Naples, Turin and Venice, opening up everything from historic northern Italy to the sun-soaked south for winter getaways. A new Liverpool service adds a further UK link, and Ryanair expects passenger traffic at Chopin to grow by more than 50 percent, reaching around 800,000 annually.

Italy Solidifies Its Role in Ryanair's Wider European Strategy

Beyond Warsaw, Italy is becoming an increasingly central part of Ryanair's European operations, with new routes connecting Italian airports to expanding markets in Poland, Slovakia, and Albania. The airline has also signalled that aircraft withdrawn from higher-cost markets, including Greece, will be redeployed to Italy, Albania and Sweden, a move likely to bring further capacity and stronger regional connections in the months ahead.

Ryanair Strengthens Bratislava Base for Winter 2026

Bratislava Base Grows with New Aircraft and Routes

Slovakia is another beneficiary of the expansion, with Ryanair adding a fourth Boeing 737 to its Bratislava base from October 2026. The base will operate 23 routes this winter, including four new services to Paphos, Tirana, Turin, and Warsaw. Annual passenger numbers at Bratislava are expected to climb past 2.2 million, with the new Turin route reinforcing links to northern Italy and the Warsaw connection improving ties between Slovakia and Poland.

What It Means for UK Travellers

While much of the growth centres on Central and Southern Europe, British passengers stand to gain too. New direct services from Warsaw Modlin to Bristol and Manchester, along with a fresh Liverpool to Warsaw Chopin route, give UK travellers more flexibility for winter city breaks or visits to family and friends in Poland. The wider network expansion may also make it easier to combine multiple destinations within a single European trip.

Travellers planning a Warsaw visit should note that Modlin and Chopin are separate airports serving different parts of the city, so it's worth checking flight details carefully before booking.

With so many new routes opening up across Poland, Italy and beyond, this winter looks set to bring plenty of fresh options for European travel. For those looking to make the most of it, Crystal Travel can help find the right flights and deals to match.