Ryanair adds routes from Luton and Stansted for winter 2025-26

Ryanair has added five new routes to its winter timetable, with services from Luton to Wroclaw, and from Stansted to Lübeck, Monastir, Murcia and Trapani.

 

Releasing its winter 2025-26 schedules, the airline said it now connects Stansted with more European destinations than are served from Heathrow.

 

It said it expects to carry 60 million passengers in the UK this year, claiming it is the UK’s biggest passenger airline, “carrying almost double BA’s traffic to/from the UK”.

 

Ryanair has also submitted plans to increase traffic by 33% to 80 million over the next five years, if the government abolishes Air Passenger Duty (APD) and reforms air traffic control services.

 

Michael O’Leary, Ryanair chief executive, said: “Ryanair continues to invest heavily in growth in the UK. We have now overtaken easyJet and British Airways, to become the UK’s number-one passenger airline, with 60 million pax in 2025.

 

“We wish to continue to deliver traffic and tourism growth across our 22 UK airports, particularly on our 340 new Boeing aircraft, which will deliver over the next eight years.

 

“To do this, however, the UK market must become competitive. Rachel Reeves (the chancellor) should stop talking about growth, and start delivering it by abolishing APD.

 

“In countries all over Europe – most notably Sweden, Hungary, Albania and regional Italy – governments are abolishing environmental taxes and are being rewarded with rapid traffic, tourism and jobs growth. This is the model that Rachel Reeves should copy.

 

“She has failed to deliver any growth in the first 12 months of the new Labour government, but she can reverse this failure, by scrapping APD to make UK air travel and tourism competitive once more, particularly in the UK regions.”

 

Commenting on air traffic control services, he again called for the sacking of Martin Rolfe, chief executive of National Air Traffic Services (Nats).

 

More: Airlines criticise Nats after ‘technical issue’ leads to cancellations and delays flights

Ryanair boss O’Leary lambasts airport expansion and APD hike while revealing new routes