Ryanair Closes Thessaloniki Base for Winter 2026, Shifts Capacity to Albania
By Bosphorus News Life Desk
Ryanair announced on May 8 the closure of its three-aircraft base at Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport for the Winter 2026 season, removing 500,000 seats and ten routes from Greece's second city and redirecting the aircraft to Albania, regional Italy and Sweden. Combined with reductions at Athens International Airport and the seasonal suspension of operations in Chania and Heraklion, the move results in a total loss of 700,000 passenger seats across Greece, a 45 percent reduction compared with Winter 2025.
The airline placed the blame directly on Fraport Greece, the German-managed company that operates fourteen Greek regional airports including Thessaloniki. Ryanair Chief Commercial Officer Jason McGuinness said Fraport had failed to pass on a 75 percent reduction in the Airport Development Fee introduced by the Greek government in November 2024, and that charges at Fraport-managed airports had instead risen 66 percent since 2019.
"The removal of three aircraft, 500,000 seats and ten routes from Thessaloniki for winter 2026 will be devastating for the city and region, as Ryanair provided 90 percent of Thessaloniki's international low-cost capacity last winter," McGuinness said. "These aircraft will be transferred to Albania, regional Italy and Sweden, where airports have passed on their government's aviation tax savings."
Fraport Greece had not issued a public response by the time of publication.
The decision carries consequences beyond Greece's borders. Thessaloniki Airport served as a regional gateway not only for northern Greece but also for travelers arriving from North Macedonia, southern Serbia and southwestern Bulgaria, many of whom used the city because of its wider international connections and lower fares. The withdrawal of Ryanair's winter capacity reduces that cross-border catchment and shifts competitive advantage toward Tirana.
Albania's Rinas Airport has recorded rapid growth as a low-cost hub in the Western Balkans over the past three years, attracting route transfers that Greece, North Macedonia and Serbia have failed to retain. Ryanair's latest reallocation reinforces that trajectory, positioning Tirana as an increasingly credible alternative regional gateway.
Ryanair presented the Greek government with a conditional growth plan: twelve million passengers annually, ten additional aircraft, one billion dollars in investment and fifty new routes over five years. The plan is contingent on Fraport Greece passing on the full value of the government's fee reduction. Without that step, the airline indicated no further expansion would proceed.
The decision fits a pattern Ryanair has applied repeatedly across Europe, using announced base closures or route withdrawals as pressure in negotiations over airport charges and state incentives. Whether Athens and Fraport respond before the winter schedule is confirmed will determine whether the capacity returns to Thessaloniki or is absorbed permanently into Albania and other markets.
***Sources: Ryanair corporate press release, May 8, 2026. Fraport Greece had not commented by publication.
This report is based on analysis originally published by our partner IBNAEU.Full article: Ryanair exits Thessaloniki base as Albania gains ground in Balkan aviation