Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has announced extensive changes to its route network for the 2026 summer season. The restructuring focuses on adjustments at its hubs in Vienna, Memmingen, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, as well as at the airports in Hahn, Weeze, and Cologne/Bonn.
While the low-cost carrier is increasing its commitment to profitable tourist routes to Croatia, unprofitable connections are being systematically canceled or their frequency reduced. The Vienna hub is particularly affected, with connections to Rijeka and Split being completely discontinued. Conversely, capacity to Dubrovnik is being slightly increased, indicating a concentration of resources on high-demand hubs.
Additional market analyses and industry reports indicate that Ryanair will be significantly shifting its fleet capacity towards Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean region in 2026. While frequencies from Vienna to Banja Luka and Niš will be reduced, the Croatian hub of Zadar will benefit from new connections from Hahn and Weeze airports. This strategic decision comes against the backdrop of rising airport fees at major German and Austrian airports. The Hamburg-Zadar service will be discontinued entirely, while Cologne/Bonn will see frequency reductions on the same route. The airline is thus responding flexibly to the operational cost structure of the respective airports and the projected passenger demand.
Zagreb Airport's schedule for 2026 shows mixed developments. While the route from Basel-Mulhouse will be served more frequently, the connection from Hahn Airport to Zagreb will be discontinued entirely. Flights from Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden to the Croatian capital will also be reduced to three per week. These changes are part of a larger consolidation within the Ryanair network, in which short-haul routes with lower revenue potential are being phased out in favor of destinations with higher tourism value creation. Experts also see these adjustments as a reaction to increasing competition from other European low-cost carriers, which have recently significantly expanded their presence in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
For travelers from southern Germany, the adjustments at Memmingen Airport will result in changes to access to Banja Luka, where service will be limited to five weekly flights. At the same time, service to Zadar from Memmingen will be strengthened, underscoring Croatia's importance as a core market for summer 2026. While the final details of the flight schedule are still subject to operational fine-tuning, the key points presented now form the basis for the upcoming travel season. Ryanair is using this reallocation of slots and aircraft to maximize profitability per seat kilometer and increase the efficiency of its aircraft fleets based at the respective hubs.