Ryanair Slashes European Network but Pledges Major Italian Expansion—40 New Aircraft & 250 Routes if Taxes Fall

While Ireland-based Ryanair confirmed dozens of route cuts across Spain, France, Germany, Portugal and Belgium this summer, the carrier unveiled an aggressively bullish plan for the Italian market. Speaking to Sky TG24 on 9 April, communications chief Fabrizio Francioni said Ryanair would invest US$4 billion to base 40 additional 737-MAX aircraft in Italy, add 20 million seats per year and open more than 250 new routes—provided the government abolishes the €6.50 municipal surtax levied on every departing passenger. The airline has already filed schedules for 30-plus new point-to-point links from secondary cities: nine routes in Emilia-Romagna (Forlì, Parma, Rimini), eight in Lombardy (Bergamo, Malpensa), extra frequencies out of Pisa, Bari and Genoa, and a dedicated business-hour shuttle between Cagliari and Milan. Ryanair argues that cutting the tax nationwide would replicate traffic booms seen in Abruzzo, Calabria and Friuli where the levy was scrapped.



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Industry analysts see the move as a strategic hedge: high airport fees and regulatory costs elsewhere in Europe make Italy—where capacity caps were lifted post-pandemic—a logical growth arena. For mobility buyers the mixed news means slimmer direct options on traditional German and French corridors but markedly better intra-Italian connectivity that could reduce reliance on rail or car hire. Corporate travel managers should monitor Ryanair’s rolling schedule updates: although many cancelled routes lie outside Italy, knock-on aircraft rotations could still affect Italian hub operations. Companies with travel-policy carve-outs that restrict use of low-cost carriers may wish to revisit cost-benefit analyses as network coverage deepens. The tax debate also signals wider policy friction. Italy’s government counts on the surtax to fund airport security; removing it would leave a €300-million annual hole. A compromise under discussion would exempt transit and connecting passengers—offering relief to business flyers without stripping security budgets.