Birmingham Airport has unveiled a significant expansion of its flight schedule, confirming a dozen new direct routes set to launch in 2026. The announcement promises to connect the West Midlands to a wider array of European cities, sun, ski, and cultural destinations.
New European City and Cultural Getaways
The 2026 roster introduces several fresh city-break options. A new direct link to Rome will commence on 5 March 2026, offering a direct gateway to the Italian capital. Travellers can also fly directly to the Albanian capital, with TUI operating a twice-weekly service to Tirana from April 2026.
Further enhancing its European network, the airport will see a new TUI flight to Budapest, Hungary, starting in May 2026. This route is designed to support the operator's Danube river cruise programme. For history and beach lovers, Jet2 is adding the Greek island of Samos to its network from Birmingham.
Winter Sun, Ski Slopes and Northern Lights
The winter schedule is receiving a notable boost with several seasonal routes. Ryanair will operate two weekly flights to Lapland-Rovaniemi in Finland for the 2025–2026 winter season, catering to demand for 'winter wonderland' holidays. For ski enthusiasts, easyJet is launching a new winter route to Grenoble, France, providing access to Alpine resorts.
Looking further ahead to Winter 2026/27, Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks have put once-in-a-lifetime trips to Iceland on sale from Birmingham, targeting the Northern Lights market.
Expanded Holiday and Domestic Programme
The airport's holiday programme is also being broadened. Jet2 will offer an exclusive route to Palermo in Sicily, with weekly flights and holidays running from 6 May to 28 October 2026. Summer 2026 will see the introduction of city-break packages to Braga in Portugal and year-round options to Murcia City in Spain.
Domestic connectivity is set to improve with the first-ever direct service from Birmingham to Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, starting 30 March 2026. Furthermore, the popular Norway and the Fjords programme is expanding with additional flights to Bergen. A twice-weekly service to Nice, France will begin on 1 May 2026, offering a classic Riviera destination.
This substantial route development underscores Birmingham Airport's commitment to growing its network and providing passengers from the Midlands with more direct travel choices, reducing the need to connect via other UK hubs.
