Ryanair has called on the Hungarian government to reduce airport charges, warning that rising costs could threaten further growth, even as the airline announces eight new routes from Budapest for the 2026 winter season.
Ryanair expands the number of destinations from Budapest
The Irish low-cost carrier will operate 54 routes from the Hungarian capital, adding destinations including Gdansk, Gothenburg, Kraków, Lamezia, Turin, Venice, Warsaw and East Midlands in England. It also plans to station an additional aircraft at its Budapest base, bringing its total there to 12.
According to Ryanair, the expanded winter schedule represents 6 per cent growth and will allow it to carry around six million passengers annually from Budapest. The company says its Hungarian operations support more than 4,800 jobs, including 360 positions for pilots and cabin crew.
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Tax cuts boost growth, says the airline
Ryanair attributes its expansion partly to the Hungarian government’s decision to abolish the aviation-related windfall tax from January 2025. The airline says its traffic in Hungary has increased by 17 per cent since the tax was removed.
However, it argues that higher airport charges are undermining the benefits of the government’s tax policy. Ryanair claims that fees at Budapest Airport have risen by more than 10 per cent since 2024, making the airport less competitive than lower-cost alternatives elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe.
Dara Brady, Ryanair’s marketing director, said the government should address airport costs as well as aviation taxes. As the majority owner of Budapest Airport, the Hungarian state has a significant role in shaping the airport’s cost competitiveness, the company argues. The airline has promised substantial further investment if charges become more competitive.
In case you missed it: Budapest Airport winter schedule brings 185 destinations, new routes and more flights
Promise of 10 million passengers
Ryanair says it could increase its annual passenger traffic in Hungary by more than 65 per cent, taking the total to over 10 million. It has also offered to station four additional aircraft in the country, invest USD 1.6 billion and create 120 new jobs in Budapest, around Lake Balaton and in Debrecen.
The announcement follows a wider pattern in which Ryanair links its capacity decisions across Europe to airport charges and aviation taxes. The airline has expanded in some markets following tax cuts, while announcing route and capacity reductions in others where costs have risen.
Its position is not universally accepted by airport operators, which have sometimes attributed capacity changes to Ryanair’s commercial strategy and the profitability of individual routes. The latest announcement therefore combines an expansion plan for Budapest with a clear message to the Hungarian government: further growth, the airline says, depends on keeping airport costs competitive.
Read also: EU flight compensation rules: What changes from today, 23 October, and what must wait until 2027?
