- Ryanair closed its Thessaloniki base for winter 2026.
- The closure removes roughly 700,000 seats and cuts capacity by 45pc.
- Three aircraft are transferred to Turin, Stockholm and Tirana.
- Twelve routes are cut across the Greek network.
- Around 200 pilots and cabin crew are affected.
Ryanair has begun closing its three-aircraft base at Thessaloniki Macedonia Airport for the winter 2026 season. The pullback removes roughly 700,000 passenger seats and slashes total capacity at the airport by approximately 45pc. The three Boeing 737 aircraft are being transferred to bases in Turin Stockholm and Tirana. Twelve routes are being cut across the Greek network.
The closure affects approximately 200 pilots and cabin crew members with many offered transfers to other European bases and others facing unemployment. The operational withdrawal stems from a commercial standoff between Ryanair and Fraport Greece the private operator managing Thessaloniki and 13 other regional Greek airports. Ryanair claims Fraport failed to pass along a legislated €9 per-passenger reduction in Greece’s Airport Development Fee reducing charges from €12 to €3.
The airline will continue serving roughly 15 remaining routes using aircraft based out of other European destinations. Passengers holding affected bookings are being notified. Under EU261 regulations passengers whose flights are cancelled are eligible for a full refund or free rebooking. The base closure is the sharpest winter capacity reduction in Ryanair’s 40-year history in Greece.
