Ryanair has announced significant changes to its European network of routes by 2026, including the closure of flights to the ‘Hawaii of Europe’. The budget-friendly airline, founded in 1985, is set to shut down bases at various airports and discontinue certain routes without prior notice, potentially catching travelers off guard during booking.
Major cutbacks are planned in the Azores region of Portugal, dubbed the ‘Hawaii of Europe’, and the Asturias region of Spain, where all flights will cease operation. The Azores closure, effective from March 29, 2026, will impact around 400,000 passengers annually, reducing direct flight options and leading to higher average prices due to increased airport fees and air traffic control charges as cited by the airline.
Ryanair’s chief commercial officer, Jason McGuinness, expressed disappointment over the decision, attributing it to escalating Portuguese airport fees imposed by the French airport monopoly ANA. The airline plans to redirect capacity to lower-cost airports within the extensive Ryanair Group network across Europe.
Apart from complete service terminations, Ryanair will also halt routes at airports in Germany and the Netherlands, resulting in a decrease of nearly 800,000 seats for the Winter 2025/2026 schedule. The airline has pointed to air traffic control, security fees, and aviation taxes as reasons for these adjustments.
The company characterizes these changes as ‘capacity adjustments’, with confirmations coming from airport operators, regional governments, and media outlets rather than directly from the airline. Multiple alterations are expected in various Spanish regions, with route closures in Vigo, base closure in Santiago de Compostela, service halts in Tenerife North, and operational endings in Jerez and Valladolid continuing into 2026.
France will also witness flight suspensions by Ryanair to Brive and Strasbourg, with a potential return at Bergerac in summer 2026. Even airports retaining Ryanair services will experience route cuts, such as in Cork Airport, Ireland, where routes to Poznań, Gdańsk, and Rome will cease in March 2026.
Passengers traveling through Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia should anticipate route reductions affecting airports like Banja Luka, Niš, Zadar, and Rijeka. Ryanair emphasizes it is not abandoning popular European destinations but adapting to government policies and airport charges aligning with its low-cost model.
Despite the route adjustments, passengers may find alternative options with competing airlines like Vueling, Binter, Iberia, and Wizz Air stepping in to fill the gaps left by Ryanair.