The Ryanair Group is sharpening its focus on Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) for Winter 2026/27, accelerating capacity growth across Slovakia and Poland following its decision to close aircraft bases in Berlin (Germany) and Thessaloniki (Greece). The strategic shift comes after Ryanair confirmed the closure of its seven-aircraft base in Berlin and its three-aircraft base in Thessaloniki, while simultaneously announcing significant fleet and network expansion across key CEE markets.
Bratislava is among the biggest beneficiaries of the airline’s latest growth strategy. Ryanair has unveiled a record Winter 2026 schedule from the Slovak capital featuring 23 routes including four new services to Paphos, Tirana, Turin and Warsaw. The expansion is expected to increase annual passenger traffic by 125% to more than 2.2 million passengers. To support the enlarged programme, the carrier will base a fourth Boeing 737 at Bratislava from October 2026.
Poland remains a cornerstone of Ryanair’s expansion strategy, with substantial capacity increases planned at Gdańsk, Poznań, Warsaw Modlin and Warsaw Chopin.
At Gdańsk, Ryanair will station six aircraft for Winter 2026, two more than during the previous winter season. The additional capacity will add approximately 300,000 seats, representing 31% year-on-year growth, while introducing 11 new routes.
Poznań will receive a fifth based aircraft for Winter 2026, enabling the airline to increase capacity by 12% with more than 90,000 additional seats. The expanded schedule includes four new routes to Barcelona, Porto, Shannon and Tirana, alongside increased frequencies on 10 existing services. Ryanair’s Winter 2026 programme from Poznań will offer more than 800,000 seats across 26 routes.
The most significant expansion is planned at Warsaw Modlin, where Ryanair will add two based aircraft, increasing its fleet at the airport to eight. The investment will support 30 routes, including five new destinations, and is expected to more than double annual passenger traffic from 1.5 million to over 3.2 million passengers.
Meanwhile, at Warsaw Chopin Airport, Ryanair will expand its Winter 2026 schedule with seven additional routes, growing its network there to 16 destinations. Passenger numbers are forecast to increase by more than 50% to approximately 800,000 annually. The expansion is supported by a multi-year agreement aimed at delivering additional terminal capacity, enabling further network growth and strengthening Ryanair’s presence at Poland’s primary gateway while offering greater choice for passengers preferring Warsaw Chopin over secondary airports.
The CEE expansion reflects Ryanair’s continued strategy of reallocating capacity toward higher-growth, lower-cost markets in Central and Eastern Europe, where the airline continues to identify opportunities for fleet expansion, network development and market share growth.
Image Credit: Ryanair
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