Ryanair begins winter rollout with 45-plus new routes

Ryanair is opening its winter schedule with more than a handful of new routes. The airline is preparing to introduce more than 45 new nonstop routes over three days beginning today, Oct. 25, according to Simple Flying, with expansion spanning the UK, Italy, Poland and Morocco.

That’s the opening wave, not the entire winter plan. Simple Flying reports that Ryanair has announced at least 140 new routes for the winter 2026/27 season and is offering nearly 80 million seats across Europe. Some services begin today, others follow over the next two days, and further additions arrive later in the season.

For travelers, the useful details sit below those big totals: which airport gets the flight, how often it operates and when it actually starts. A new route isn’t necessarily a daily route, and a familiar destination name can hide an airport switch.

Poland and Italy lead the first launches

Four new Poland–Italy services begin today, according to Simple Flying: Warsaw Chopin to Catania, Bari and Venice, plus Gdańsk to Milan Malpensa. They form part of 13 new direct routes between the two countries for winter 2026/27.

The frequencies vary considerably. Simple Flying lists Warsaw–Catania at six flights weekly, Warsaw–Bari and Warsaw–Venice at three each, and Gdańsk–Milan Malpensa at four. Those differences matter when choosing a departure and return date; the new Catania service from Warsaw offers a different level of scheduling flexibility than a three-times-weekly flight.

Warsaw–Bologna follows Oct. 26 with three weekly flights, while Kraków–Venice starts Oct. 27 at the same frequency, according to the publication. Gdańsk–Catania is also scheduled to join the opening wave with three weekly flights. Simple Flying’s narrative and route table disagree on that service’s exact launch day, so travelers should confirm it before building a trip around the inaugural departure.

The expansion continues beyond this week. Simple Flying lists Warsaw–Turin from Oct. 31 at one flight weekly. Warsaw–Naples begins Dec. 1 with five weekly flights, while Katowice–Naples starts that day with four. Gdańsk, Katowice and Wrocław each gain a weekly Turin service from Dec. 19.

That’s a staggered rollout rather than a single switch being flipped. The Naples additions, for example, belong in December plans, not an assumption that every announced winter route is available from today.

UK winter flights bring new routes and airport changes

Simple Flying describes Ryanair’s UK program as its largest-ever winter schedule, with 435 routes, including 22 new services. London Stansted is adding Glasgow, Malmö and Parma, while Edinburgh’s winter capacity is increasing by 11%. The Scottish capital will have 46 routes, including new connections to Milan, Tirana and Warsaw, the publication reports.

Further detail comes from Simple Flying’s separate report on Ryanair’s UK expansion. Liverpool gains Gdańsk and Copenhagen flights beginning Oct. 26, both operating twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays. A three-times-weekly Liverpool–Warsaw Chopin service also starts that day.

The Warsaw addition deserves a closer look: Simple Flying says it replaces Ryanair’s previous Liverpool service to Warsaw Modlin. This isn’t simply another flight to the same airport. Anyone repeating a previous journey should check the arrival airport before reusing ground transportation arrangements.

There’s a similar distinction at London Luton. Simple Flying reports that its Venice service starts Oct. 26, replacing the Luton–Venice Treviso route that ended Oct. 21, 2026. A familiar city name on the booking screen doesn’t necessarily mean the same airport as last time.

The UK report also lists new Warsaw Modlin services from Manchester and Bristol beginning Oct. 26. Manchester gets two weekly flights; Bristol gets two to four weekly flights. Birmingham–Copenhagen starts that day with two weekly flights, according to the same report.

More aircraft underpin parts of the expansion. Simple Flying reports that Liverpool is receiving a sixth based aircraft, with 100,000 additional winter seats expected. Birmingham is receiving a ninth based aircraft as part of a $900 million investment, supporting five new winter destinations, including Copenhagen and Marrakesh.

Morocco gains eight routes and more winter seats

Morocco is another substantial piece of the winter plan. According to Simple Flying’s main report, Ryanair is introducing eight routes: Rabat to Stockholm and Kraków; Marrakesh to Wrocław and Karlsruhe; and Agadir to Milan, Nuremberg, Bratislava and Gdańsk.

For winter 2026/27, the airline expects its Moroccan capacity to increase by 580,000 seats, or 12%, compared with the previous season, Simple Flying reports. Its schedule will connect 13 Moroccan airports with destinations in 14 countries.

The operation will be supported by 16 aircraft based across Morocco, including two at Rabat, according to the publication. That base opened in April and is Ryanair’s fifth in the country.

This builds on a much longer presence. Simple Flying reports that Ryanair entered Morocco in 2006, when an Open Skies agreement between the European Union and Morocco eased restrictions on air services. The carrier initially served Marrakesh, Fez and Oujda; its Moroccan network now comprises 156 routes.

Why the winter growth is landing here

The expansion isn’t evenly distributed across Ryanair’s network. Simple Flying reports that the airline has been moving aircraft away from markets with higher aviation taxes and operating costs, including Germany and Belgium, where it has been closing bases and cutting capacity.

The publication links deployment in lower-cost Italian markets to several regions abolishing a $7.28 (€6.50) municipal passenger tax. That provides context for the growth, but it isn’t evidence that every new flight will carry a lower fare.

For booking purposes, the route details are more useful than the headline count. Liverpool passengers have a Warsaw airport change to consider, Poland–Italy travelers have frequencies ranging from weekly to six times weekly, and several additions don’t begin until December. More nonstop choices are welcome; matching the actual airport and operating dates to your trip is what makes them useful.