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Ryanair's new investments in Poland. „We are in the process of negotiations.”
Ryanair aims to boost the number of flights from various Polish airports. „We anticipate announcing plans to enhance at least three of our primary Polish bases – Krakow, Gdansk, and Wroclaw – in September or October this year,” stated the airline’s CEO, Michael O’Leary.
Ryanair finalized an agreement with Warsaw-Modlin Airport this week, which includes increasing the flight frequency and passenger capacity at the Warsaw-adjacent airport from 1.5 million per year to 5 million by 2030. In connection with this, the airline’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, was questioned regarding whether Ryanair plans to implement similar initiatives at other Polish airports.
„We are currently in discussions with several Polish airports (regarding the rise in flights and passengers – ed.) and expect that in September or October of this year we will disclose (…) plans for the growth of at least three of our major Polish bases – Krakow, Gdansk, and Wroclaw. Furthermore, we will also witness expansion in Modlin by 2026,” O’Leary mentioned. He pointed out that Ryanair’s largest base in Poland presently is Krakow, where the airline operates 12 aircraft.
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Ryanair’s intentions for Radom airport
When inquired if Ryanair was contemplating initiating flights from Radom, O’Leary expressed that he did not believe it was the most suitable option. He assessed that Radom Airport is „somewhat too distant from Warsaw” and would never substitute Chopin Airport and Modlin Airport as the „entry points to Warsaw.” He further noted that Ryanair favors enhancing connections at these two airports, though he did not dismiss the potential of commencing two or three routes from Radom in the future.
The CEO of the Irish airline also highlighted that „the Polish economy is performing well” and the inclination to travel abroad is continuously increasing. He remarked that many tourists from overseas are also eager to visit Poland.
Ryanair’s changes to baggage size and more
O’Leary also discussed the previously announced increase in the dimensions of hand luggage that Ryanair passengers can carry on board as part of their ticket fare. He reminded that the European Union recently reached an agreement with the industry that the minimum size for free hand luggage should be at least 40 x 30 x 15 cm. He stated that Ryanair welcomed this initiative and fully concurred with it.
„Thus, we will raise our baggage dimensions from 40 x 25 x 20 cm to 40 x 30 x 20 cm, which is slightly larger than what EU regulations stipulate. We anticipate that all our baggage size checkers (baggage measuring devices – ed.) at the gates will be updated by the end of July. The new, larger baggage sizes will take effect on August 1st,” O’Leary announced.
When questioned if this change would influence ticket prices, he replied that there would be no necessity for increases.
The Ryanair executive criticized the European Parliament’s proposal allowing each passenger to bring two pieces of hand luggage on board.
„There’s a minor technical issue here – two free carry-on bags simply won’t fit on the aircraft. There isn’t sufficient space for them. That’s why we believe it won’t be approved. We consider this proposal a typical example of a situation where Parliament devises some outlandish idea that ultimately proves impossible to implement. The European Parliament is filled with eccentric individuals. They enjoy concocting bizarre ideas,” O’Leary concluded.
Agreement with Warsaw-Modlin Airport
In its agreement with Warsaw-Modlin Airport, Ryanair committed to investing over $400 million, increasing the number of aircraft stationed there from four to eight, launching at least 25 new routes, and creating 200 new jobs in Modlin. The Warsaw airport has, in turn, pledged to expand its terminal from four to eight passenger check-in counters and increase the number of aircraft parking spots to 12 by September 2027. The airport is also expected to generate 400 new jobs in areas such as passenger handling, airport security, services, and commerce.
„This is a mutually beneficial arrangement for both Ryanair and Modlin. It signifies the end of a three-year decline in traffic at Modlin and the beginning of a five-year period of rapid expansion,” O’Leary added.
Warsaw-Modlin Mazovian Airport is situated 37 km from the Warsaw city center, near the S7 expressway and the Warsaw-Modlin railway line. According to data from the Civil Aviation Authority (Urząd Lotnictwa Cywilnego), Modlin was one of two airports in Poland that experienced a
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