Ryanair has announced a record winter 2026 schedule at Bratislava Airport on 26 May 2026. The expansion includes a fourth based Boeing 737 aircraft from October 2026, representing a 400m US dollar investment. This will support 23 routes, including four new ones to Paphos, Tirana, Turin, and Warsaw, driving 125 percent traffic growth to over 2.2m passengers per year.
The growth stems from what the airline calls proactive Slovak government policies, including the abolition of environmental taxes, lower airport charges, and reduced air traffic control fees. These measures have positioned Slovakia as Europe’s fastest growing aviation market in 2026. The investment is expected to support over 1,600 local jobs, including 120 high paid Ryanair pilot and cabin crew positions.
Michael O’Leary shared “As Europe’s No. 1 airline, Ryanair is pleased to visit Bratislava today to announce even more growth, with a 4th based B737 aircraft for W2026 – a $400m investment supporting over 1,600 local jobs, including 30 new high paid pilot and cabin crew job. With this additional aircraft, Ryanair will deliver a record W2026 schedule for Bratislava, including 4 new routes to Paphos, Tirana, Turin, and Warsaw, which will see our Bratislava traffic grow 125 percent to over 2.2m passengers.”
Dušan Novota, Bratislava Airport CEO, shared “Over the past year, Ryanair has reached a major milestone in Bratislava, expanding its base from two aircraft to three and now four aircraft after more than a decade of operating a two aircraft base. Thanks also to Ryanair’s continued growth, Bratislava has become one of the fastest growing airports in Europe. As Ryanair has been a key and long term partner of Bratislava Airport for more than 20 years, we highly value this successful cooperation and its continued growth in the Slovak market.”
