Ryanair has unveiled its largest-ever summer schedule in Croatia, further strengthening its presence on the Croatian market for the Summer 2026 season. According to the announcement made on 18 February, the airline will base nine aircraft in the country, operate a total of 118 routes and offer more than 4.3 million seats, representing five percent capacity growth compared to the previous season.
The new schedule covers seven Croatian airports, including three operational bases in Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Zagreb. Two new routes from Dubrovnik to Budapest and Gdansk stand out as key additions, further expanding connectivity between southern Croatia and Central and Eastern Europe.
At the peak of the summer season, more than 850 weekly flights are planned, with the airline estimating that its Croatian operations will support over 3,500 jobs. Ryanair highlighted that Croatia’s strong post-COVID traffic and tourism recovery has been driven by competitive airport charges, enabling the airline to expand year-round connectivity and reallocate capacity from higher-cost markets, such as Austria, France, and Germany.
The airline is calling on the Croatian Government to abolish what it describes as the outdated CAA tax, arguing that it unnecessarily increases costs for both passengers and airlines. According to Ryanair, funding could instead be secured by rationalising subsidised PSO routes, thereby strengthening Croatia’s position as a competitive, pro-growth aviation market and supporting further year-round tourism, employment and economic development.
Speaking in Zagreb, Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer Jason McGuinness said the Summer 2026 programme marks the airline’s largest schedule in Croatia to date, with 4.3 million seats across 118 routes, including the new Dubrovnik services. He emphasised that nine based aircraft across the three Croatian bases will ensure vital year-round connectivity while contributing to jobs and broader economic activity.
To mark the launch of its record Summer 2026 schedule, Ryanair has introduced a limited three-day seat sale with fares starting from €29.99, available exclusively via the airline’s mobile app.
