Ryanair bets on Málaga with nine new winter 2025/26 routes

Malaga becomes a clear winner as Ryanair reshuffles its Spain strategy, adding nine new routes and expanding its winter schedule while cutting capacity elsewhere. 

Costa del Sol reaching new heights

Ryanair has unveiled its Winter 2025/26 schedule from Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport, adding nine new destinations and boosting capacity by 7 per cent according to the airline – a move that firmly positions the airport as one of Spain’s biggest winners in a season of mixed fortunes for the airline’s Spanish network. 

The low-cost carrier will now connect Malaga with Pardubice, Ostrava, Brno (Czech Republic), Bratislava (Slovakia), Lübeck, Münster (Germany), Stockholm Västerås (Sweden), Teesside (UK) and Warsaw (Poland), bringing the total number of winter routes to 83. 

Most of the new services will operate two to four times per week, with Warsaw seeing the most frequent link at six weekly flights. 

Ryanair says its Malaga operation will be “largely” served by 15 based aircraft, representing a €1.5 billion investment and allegedly supporting over 6,800 local jobs. 

A tale of two Spains

While Malaga’s runway is buzzing, not all Spanish airports share the same outlook. Ryanair has confirmed it will cut around one million seats nationwide this winter, citing what it calls “excessive” increases in AENA (Spanish Airports and Air Navigation) airport charges – a claim that the operator strongly disputes. 

Airports in northern and central Spain, including Girona and Valladolid, will see reduced frequencies or paused routes, while Malaga, Alicante and Tenerife emerge as the network’s bright spots. 

“The Costa del Sol remains a strategic market,” Ryanair’s Spain Communications Manager Alejandra Ruiz said, pointing to strong British and Northern European demand that “keeps hotels and restaurants busy through the winter.”

Who benefits from the new routes? 

The expanded schedule offers clear advantages for British expats and Northern European winter-sun travellers. New connections like Teesside-Malaga, extended year-round after a successful launch in March, provide an affordable escape from the UK’s darker months, with fares starting from €24.99 one way. 

For Central European visitors, the new flights from Bratislava, Brno and Ostrava open fresh inbound markets, giving local tourism businesses a reason to smile. Tourism data already show Malaga leading Spain’s growth charts this year, with over 15 million passengers recorded in the first seven months of 2025 – a rise of nearly 8 per cent compared with 2024. 

What it means, who wins, and who loses

Analysts suggest the move underscores Malaga’s resilience as a year-round tourism hub, buoyed by infrastructure, international links and consistent demand from the UK, Germany and Scandinavia. AENA data show the airport continues to climb toward record-breaking annual traffic figures, making it one of Europe’s most dynamic mid-size gateways. 

Elsewhere, however, regions losing Ryanair routes face the opposite story: fewer flights, less exposure, and potentially weaker winter tourism flows. 

With bookings now open through March 2026, travellers eager to secure low fares would do well to book early – and find those old swimming trunks in the back of the wardrobe. 

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