Ryanair is continuing to expand its network across the region, with EX-YU Aviation News able to confirm that the budget carrier will be adding new flights from both Zadar and Banja Luka next summer. At its seasonal base on the Croatian coast, Ryanair plans to introduce Barcelona, Copenhagen, Cork, Košice and Kaunas to its network. At the same time, the airline is yet to schedule flights from Zadar to Hahn, Turin, Rome Fiumicino, Vaxjo and Warsaw Modlin, which were operational during the 2023 summer season, however, as the carrier is still finalising its network, some of these may yet find their place within its Zadar schedule. Overall, based on existing operations filed by the airline, Ryanair will increase its number of flights in Zadar by 33.3% in 2024 compared to this year’s summer season, for a total of 8.249 flight operations (inclusive of both outbound and inbound).

Departing Zadar

In Banja Luka, Ryanair will introduce a new two weekly service from Baden Baden. It will complement its flights from Charleroi, Gothenburg, Memmingen, Stockholm and Vienna to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s second largest city. Unlike the 2023 summer season, the budget airline has not filed plans to maintain operations from either Berlin or Nuremberg to Banja Luka, as was the case this summer, indicating flights will likely not be renewed, however, changes remain possible. Overall, based on existing operations filed by the airline, Ryanair will decrease its number of flights in Banja Luka by 10.9% in 2024 compared to this year’s summer season, for a total of 1.080 flight operations.

Tickets for the new services from Zadar and Banja Luka, as well as the previously announced Zagreb, are expected to go on sale next week. All of the abovementioned routes have been added to the Global Distribution System but are yet to be displayed on the airline’s booking engine, featured on the homepage of its website. Earlier this week, Ryanair officially announced the launch of its seasonal base in Dubrovnik and the introduction of flights to Sarajevo for next year. “Ryanair is the only major European airline to significantly grow traffic post-Covid, particularly in the Balkans, where other airlines have stopped growing, are cutting routes, and reducing traffic. Next year, Ryanair will grow to eleven million annual passengers in the region, a 260% increase in traffic vs pre-Covid”, Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer, Jason McGuinness, said.