Ryanair has announced a significant expansion of its operations at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, confirming it will base a sixth aircraft there for the summer 2026 season.
Major Investment and New Routes
The move forms part of a substantial $600 million investment by the airline in the North West region. This expansion will unlock an additional 250,000 seats for passengers flying from Liverpool. Alongside the extra capacity, Ryanair is introducing three brand new routes to Marrakesh in Morocco, Tirana in Albania, and Warsaw in Poland.
Furthermore, the airline will increase flight frequencies on a host of its existing popular services from Liverpool. These include destinations such as Alicante, Barcelona, Faro, Ibiza, Kaunas, Kraków, Malaga, Malta, Porto, Reus, and Sofia.
Driving Growth and Criticising Government Policy
The investment follows Ryanair's recent financial results, which showed a 40% increase in profits for the period between April and September 2025. The airline's Chief Executive, Michael O'Leary, stated that traffic for the 2026 financial year is now forecast to grow by over 3% to 207 million passengers, aided by earlier-than-expected Boeing aircraft deliveries.
Ryanair's Chief Commercial Officer, Jason McGuinness, highlighted the benefits for the region, saying: "Ryanair’s supercharged investment and growth at Liverpool will deliver more than two million low-fare seats to 34 European destinations." He emphasised this offers more choice for North West customers while boosting inbound tourism.
However, McGuinness used the announcement to launch a strong critique of UK government policy, specifically Chancellor Rachel Reeves's decision to increase Air Passenger Duty (APD). He argued this tax is "penal and damaging," making UK regional airports uncompetitive compared to EU counterparts like Sweden and Hungary, which are abolishing similar taxes to stimulate growth.
A Landmark Partnership for Liverpool
John Irving, the CEO of Liverpool John Lennon Airport, welcomed the news, thanking Ryanair for its continued support as the airport's longest-serving airline partner of nearly 40 years. He noted that around 40 million Ryanair passengers have travelled via Liverpool in that time.
"This news highlights Liverpool John Lennon Airport’s strategic importance for the City Region and wider North West and North Wales," Irving stated. He added that the expansion would bring more jobs, investment, and choice for both local travellers and overseas visitors.
With 2025 set to be one of the airport's busiest years on record, Irving concluded that Ryanair's decision to base a sixth aircraft in Liverpool for 2026 is "likely to help the airport go on to break all previous passenger records."
