Ryanair is expanding its Budapest base to 12 aircraft for the winter 2026/27 season, operating 54 routes and targeting six million annual passengers in Hungary, a 6% increase.
The Irish low-cost airline values its Budapest-based fleet at $1.2 billion, but says further expansion depends on reducing airport charges, which it claims have increased by more than 10% since 2024.
The expansion, announced on October 28, includes eight new or returning winter connections to East Midlands, Gdańsk, Gothenburg, Kraków, Lamezia Terme, Turin, Venice and Warsaw. This eight destinations include routes returning to the winter timetable, rather than eight entirely new year-round connections.
Budapest fleet reaches $1.2 billion in aircraft value
The addition of a 12th based aircraft increases Ryanair’s stated fleet investment in Budapest to $1.2 billion, compared with $1.1 billion when the airline announced its 11th aircraft in February.
Ryanair estimates that its Hungarian operations support more than 4,800 jobs, including over 360 pilot and cabin crew positions. The broader employment figure includes jobs the company attributes indirectly to its activities.
The carrier’s winter network of 54 routes follows a summer 2026 programme of 67 routes and 6.5 million seats of annual capacity announced in February. The different route totals reflect seasonal schedules.
Airline says airport charges have risen more than 10%
The expansion comes amid renewed disagreement over operating costs at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. Ryanair credits Hungary’s abolition of its aviation windfall tax in January 2025 with supporting growth, claiming its passenger traffic has increased by 17% since the tax was removed.
However, the airline says Budapest Airport’s charges have risen by more than 10% since 2024, weakening the airport’s competitiveness against lower-cost alternatives in Central and Eastern Europe.
“While Hungary’s abolition of the aviation tax in Jan 2025 has made the country more competitive, charges at Budapest Airport are moving in the wrong direction,” said Dara Brady, Ryanair’s Chief Marketing Officer.
Ryanair proposes expansion to more than 10 million passengers
Ryanair says it could increase annual passenger traffic in Hungary by more than 65%, from approximately six million to over ten million, if airport operating costs become more competitive.
Its proposed expansion could involve four additional based aircraft and approximately 120 additional jobs, with services potentially expanding across Budapest, Hévíz–Balaton and Debrecen airports.
