Ryanair has announced its winter schedule for Edinburgh Airport, adding three new European destinations to a total of 46 routes. The budget airline, which operates a major base at the Scottish airport, will now serve Milan, Tirana and Warsaw over the coming months.
Alongside the new routes, Ryanair will continue operating 13 existing services to winter and business destinations, including Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Budapest, Krakow and Prague. To mark the launch of the 2026 winter schedule, the airline has introduced a limited-time seat sale, with fares from £29.99 available to book through Ryanair.com or the app.
Investment and growth at Edinburgh Airport
The announcement forms part of a $1.1 billion investment in Edinburgh Airport, where Ryanair serves 5.4 million passengers per year, a growth of 11 percent. The airline operates 11 aircraft from the Scottish capital, supporting 1,700 local jobs and, according to Ryanair, "drives year-round inbound tourism."
Ryanair's Director of Comms, Jade Kirwan, said: "As the UK's No.1 airline for low fares and reliability, we are pleased to announce Ryanair's Winter 2026 schedule for Edinburgh, with 46 routes including 3 new routes to Milan, Tirana and Warsaw."
Passenger numbers and tax concerns
Kirwan added that the airline expects to carry 63 million passengers to and from the UK throughout 2026, "almost double" the air traffic from British Airways, making Ryanair "the biggest airline" in the country. She also highlighted concerns about the UK Government's Airline Passenger Duty (APD), which was raised to £15 per departing passenger on April 1 and is set to rise again in April 2027.
Kirwan said: "This penal tax on ordinary UK passengers is making the UK – particularly the regions – decreasingly uncompetitive compared to other cost-reducing destinations elsewhere in Europe, that are abolishing aviation taxes and lowering airport fees to support airline investment and traffic, tourism and jobs growth." She called for the abolition of UK APD, estimating it would cost £2.5 billion per year but would boost routes and visitor growth.
Edinburgh Airport welcomes new links
Head of Aviation at Edinburgh Airport, Lynsey Burns, said: "Winter might be on the way, but these new routes give passengers plenty to look forward to. Whether it's a weekend in Milan, discovering Tirana or exploring Warsaw, these additions, alongside the many destinations already served by Ryanair, provide even more opportunities to travel from Scotland's busiest airport and strengthen our links with key European markets."
Ryanair is not the only budget airline expanding from Scottish airports. easyJet has also launched 18 new UK flights, with six departing from two airports in Scotland. From March 2027, four will fly from Edinburgh to Hamburg, Tivat, Bilbao and Rome Fiumicino, while two from Aberdeen will serve Barcelona and Palma del Mallorca. All are available to book on easyJet's website or app.
