2 BASED AIRCRAFT ($200M INV) & 16% TRAFFIC GROWTH TO 1.3 MILLION P.A. Ryanair today (Wed,
2 BASED AIRCRAFT ($200M INV) & 16% TRAFFIC GROWTH TO 1.3 MILLION P.A.
Ryanair today (Wed, 26 Feb) announced its Belfast Summer 2025 schedule with 19 routes, including an exciting new Summer route to Kaunas, as well as extra frequencies on other popular Summer holiday routes like Malaga, Alicante & Malta, providing Ryanair’s Northern Irish customers with more choice and regular connections at the lowest fares in Europe. This significant growth (+16%) is underpinned by Ryanair’s 2 Belfast-based aircraft, representing a $200m investment and supporting over 1,000 local jobs, while driving year-round tourism at the same time. Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest city in the Baltic States.
While Ryanair continues to invest and grow in Belfast since the reopening of its Belfast base in 2023, regional UK connectivity and tourism is suffering under the new Labour Govt, which while “claiming” to champion growth, have bizarrely increased APD taxes on short-haul flights by £2 per passenger from 2026, damaging growth and making the UK uncompetitive. This APD tax hike further penalises ordinary UK families travelling abroad on holidays and deters millions of potential visitors to the UK, who will travel instead to countries like Sweden, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, who are abolishing aviation taxes or are reducing airport fees to stimulate growth. The anti-growth increase in UK APD is damaging tourism and economic growth in the UK regions, and Ryanair continues to call on Rachel Reeves to immediately abolish this stupid APD tax, which will deliver immediate and much needed growth across the regions.
To celebrate the launch of Ryanair’s Summer 2025 schedule for Belfast and its new Kaunas route, the airline has launched a limited-time seat sale with fares from just £24.99, available only at www.ryanair.com.
Ryanair’s Chief Marketing Officer Dara Brady said:
“Ryanair is pleased to announce our Summer 2025 schedule for Belfast, with 19 routes including Kaunas for Summer 2025, as well as extra flights to other popular summer holiday destinations like Alicante, Malaga, and Malta, giving Northern Ireland citizens/visitors even more choice at the lowest fares in Europe.
Ryanair could be growing more rapidly to/from Belfast and the wider UK, but Rachel Reeves’ bizarre decision to raise APD taxes by £2 per passenger damages these growth prospects, and in particular regional UK airports. If the UK Govt. wants to deliver growth, they should abolish their penal and damaging APD tax, which makes the UK uncompetitive when EU countries like Sweden, Hungary, Ireland, and regions in Italy are abolishing aviation taxes, and winning dramatic traffic, tourism, and jobs growth from the UK.”
Belfast International Airport’s CEO, Dan Owens said:
“Since returning to Belfast International Airport, Ryanair has offered local passengers greater choice and connectivity with fantastic routes on offer. Today’s announcement that they will deliver 19 routes over the summer period, including the new summer route to Kaunas in Lithuania, only grows this offering.
The additional flights to Alicante, Krakow and London strengthen Ryanair’s presence in Northern Ireland and is warmly welcomed by all.”