RYANAIR CUTS MULTIPLE ROUTES FROM BANJALUKA

Low-cost carrier Ryanair has announced a reduction of its operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia for the summer 2026 season, citing a strategic reallocation of capacity toward markets with stronger seasonal demand, particularly Croatia.

PHOTO: Pixabay / RyanAir

From Banja Luka International Airport, six weekly departures will be discontinued. Flights to Vienna, Memmingen and Baden-Baden will be reduced to just two rotations per week.

In Serbia, two weekly flights from Niš Constantine the Great Airport are being scrapped — one to Vienna and one to Malta.

The airline has also confirmed the suspension of two routes between Ireland and Lithuania. From April, it will no longer operate from Belfast to Kaunas, nor from Dublin to Palanga. The Vilnius–Stockholm route is also being discontinued.

Ryanair stated that aircraft capacity is being redirected to lower-cost airports in Croatia, Morocco, Italy, Sweden and Albania, where airport charges and environmental taxes are comparatively lower. Some of the cancelled routes have already been taken over by competing airlines.

FRANCE: TAX PRESSURE AND FURTHER CUTS

France is also facing significant reductions in 2026. During the winter 2025 season, Ryanair removed 750,000 seats and cancelled 25 routes to the country, suspending services to Bergerac, Brive-la-Gaillarde and Strasbourg, citing increased aviation taxes as the primary reason.

In December, the airline announced that flights to Bergerac would resume in summer 2026 following discussions with local authorities, while routes to Brive and Strasbourg remain suspended.

Ryanair has warned of additional potential closures. Commercial Director Jason McGuinness told the Paris-based magazine Challenges that the airline may withdraw from French regional airports during summer 2026.

Starting March 27, 2026, Ryanair will cease operations at Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport due to environmental taxes. The airport currently offers connections to London, Porto and Fez.

The Dublin–Rodez route is also being discontinued, although flights from London Stansted Airport and Brussels to Rodez will continue.

BELGIUM: ONE MILLION FEWER SEATS

In the winter 2026/27 schedule, Ryanair is cutting 20 routes and removing one million seats from Brussels Airport and Brussels South Charleroi Airport.

The move follows the introduction of a new Belgian aviation tax, raising the passenger charge to €10 per traveler, with the possibility of additional local levies in Charleroi.

Destinations affected include Milan (Bergamo), Barcelona, Lisbon, Rome (Ciampino), Kraków and Mallorca. Ryanair’s Belgian capacity will be reduced by approximately 22 percent, with five aircraft withdrawn from bases in Zaventem and Charleroi.

The airline argues that abolishing the tax would stimulate passenger growth and tourism, while maintaining it could result in declining traffic and higher ticket prices.

AZORES LEFT WITHOUT RYANAIR

From the end of March, Ryanair will cancel all six routes to and from the Azores, a decision expected to affect around 400,000 passengers annually. As a result, the airline’s capacity in Portugal will decline by roughly 22 percent, including operations in Porto and Lisbon.

The airline cited increased air traffic control charges imposed by ANA (Vinci), as well as European environmental measures such as the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), which particularly impacts shorter routes to the Azores and Madeira.

Media reports also indicate the introduction of a new €2 per passenger travel tax, which Ryanair considers uncompetitive compared to other EU countries.

The airline claims there is no clear strategy to develop low-cost connectivity with the Azores and has called on the government to intervene. Airport operator ANA has rejected accusations of abusing a monopoly position, stating that fees in the Azores remain among the lowest and that dialogue with the airline remains open.