Ryanair to base 11th aircraft in Budapest as part of 2026 summer schedule
Ryanair announced (17-Feb-2026) it summer schedule at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport for 2026, with 67 total routes including five new connections to Dubrovnik, Krakow, Lamezia, Marrakech and Newcastle. The LCC plans to base an 11th aircraft in Budapest as part of the schedule, which will support a "record" 6.5 million annual seats and 4600 local jobs. Ryanair CCO Jason McGuinness stated: "This additional aircraft and record schedule is thanks to the Hungarian Government's decision to abolish aviation taxes from Jan-2025, since which Ryanair has grown by 15% at Budapest Airport... Ryanair calls on the Hungarian Government to immediately reduce Budapest Airport's excessive charges to ensure it remains competitive with neighbouring airports in Poland, Slovakia [and] Croatia who continue to lower airport charges". [more - original PR]
Background ✨
Ryanair previously highlighted its Budapest growth as a direct response to the Hungarian Government's abolition of aviation taxes from January 2025, having earlier cautioned that increases in airport charges could undermine such gains. For summer 2025, it scheduled 68 routes and 10 based aircraft at Budapest, attributing expansion to lower access costs, but expressing concern over rising airport fees potentially offsetting the benefits of tax cuts1.