Ryan has revealed summer 2026 expansion at both Gdansk and Liverpool — adding a six based aircraft at each airport — as part of a combined $1.2bn investment.
The airline's $600 million commitment in Gdansk will add five new routes — including Bucharest, Dubrovnik, Palermo, Rome, and Tirana — as well as increased frequencies on 17 existing services. This represents an additional 300,000 seats, or a 16% increase.
Gdansk Airport CEO Tomasz Kloskowski said the move signals “our airport's rising importance in the region and across Poland".
Liverpool John Lennon Airport will see similar growth, with the sixth aircraft supporting 250,000 additional seats. The airline is adding three new routes from the airport, including Marrakesh, Tirana, and Warsaw, as well as added frequencies on 11 routes.
The airport's CEO John Irving said Ryanair's move will “bring more jobs, more investment, and more choice for the region's travellers”.
Ryanair chief commercial officer Jason McGuinness said in a statement that the investment represented “record growth for the Northwest” of England. He also used the platform to lambast UK chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeve's decision to increase air passenger duty (APD) in its recent budget, covered by Airline Economics.
“While Ryanair is growing at Liverpool next summer, other regional airports across the UK are being hamstrung by Rachel Reeves idiotic decision to increase APD,” said McGuinness.
A company, not particularly known to mince its words, called on the UK government to “abolish this penal and damaging APD tax”, claiming it to make the UK less competitive when compared to other European countries.