Ryanair bases ninth aircraft at Birmingham Airport for the winter

Ryanair is basing a ninth aircraft at Birmingham Airport this winter, as part of an expansion that will add five new routes from the city.

The airline said the extra plane was part of a new $900m investment and would increase its Birmingham traffic by 21 per cent. It said its operations at the airport would support more than 3,270 local jobs, with dozens more to be created.

Five new routes

The new routes for winter 2026 are to Copenhagen, Rome Fiumicino, Warsaw Modlin, Marrakesh and Tirana. Ryanair first announced the five destinations in September as part of a wider package of new routes from UK airports, and the ninth based aircraft is what will allow it to fly them.

A "based" aircraft is one that stays at the airport overnight, with its crews living locally. Airlines prize based aircraft because they allow early morning departures and give the airport more flights across the day. Each one typically brings with it pilots, cabin crew and engineering staff.

To mark the announcement, Ryanair has launched a limited-time seat sale, with fares from £29.99 available to book through its app.

"A strong vote of confidence"

Matt Hazelwood, chief commercial officer at Birmingham Airport, said: "Ryanair's decision to add new routes from Birmingham Airport for winter 2026 is a strong vote of confidence in both the airport and the wider region."

"We are proud of our long-standing partnership and pleased to work together to deliver the destinations our customers are looking for, giving them even greater choice and connectivity while responding to the Midlands' growing demand for air travel."

Ryanair said it had submitted plans to the government to grow its UK traffic by 27 per cent, to 80 million passengers a year, by 2030.

A growing airport

The expansion comes at a busy time for Birmingham Airport, which earlier this month unveiled plans to invest £2bn over the next 15 years. The airport hopes to more than double its passenger numbers, from about 13 million a year now to 30 million by 2041, and says the plans could support tens of thousands of jobs.

The airport has reported record passenger numbers through the summer, as airlines have added flights and seats from the city. Low-cost carriers have been competing hard for passengers in the Midlands, where many people have previously travelled to Manchester or the London airports for a wider choice of destinations.

Ryanair's winter schedule from Birmingham begins at the end of October, when the clocks go back and airlines switch to their winter timetables. Passengers are advised to check the latest flight times and baggage rules before booking, as fares in sales are limited and some dates sell out quickly.