Liverpool John Lennon Airport will gain six new Ryanair routes as part of a major expansion during the winter 2026 season.

The airline’s programme will include services to Milan Bergamo, Copenhagen, Gdańsk, Porto, Tirana and Warsaw, giving passengers across Liverpool and the wider North West more opportunities to avoid travelling through Manchester.

Ryanair will operate 27 routes from Liverpool this winter and retain six aircraft at the airport. The airline says its programme will provide approximately 100,000 additional seats, representing growth of 11% compared with the previous winter.

Frequencies will also increase on existing services to Kraków, Kaunas and Cork.

The six destinations provide a mixture of city breaks, visiting-friends-and-relatives traffic and leisure travel:

Ryanair describes all six as new winter routes. However, that does not necessarily mean every destination is completely new to Liverpool.

Tirana and Warsaw were already announced as part of Ryanair’s summer 2026 programme, while flights to Gdańsk were also operating during September. In some cases, the winter announcement therefore represents continued or expanded year-round connectivity rather than the launch of a destination that Liverpool has never served before.

For passengers, that distinction matters less than the practical result. More routes are remaining available beyond the summer peak, giving travellers a broader selection during a season when regional airport schedules traditionally become smaller.

Ryanair says the sixth aircraft based at Liverpool represents a total investment of $600 million.

The additional capacity will support the airline’s 27-route winter schedule and allow it to operate more early-morning departures from Liverpool. Basing aircraft locally can also improve operational resilience because aircraft and crews begin and end their working day at the airport.

However, the sixth aircraft itself is not entirely new. Ryanair previously announced that it would increase its Liverpool base from five to six aircraft for summer 2026. The latest announcement confirms that this expanded presence will continue into the winter rather than being withdrawn at the end of the summer season.

Ryanair claims that its Liverpool operation now supports more than 2,100 jobs, although this figure includes indirect employment associated with the airport and local economy rather than solely people employed by the airline.

The announcement follows a period of strong growth at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

More than 5.6 million passengers used the airport during 2025, making it the busiest year in its 92-year history. The total exceeded the previous record of just over 5.5 million passengers, set in 2007, and represented an increase of 11% compared with 2024.

That recovery has been supported by expansion from Ryanair and easyJet, alongside the arrival of Jet2, which has brought additional flights and package holidays to the airport.

Liverpool now advertises direct connections to more than 70 destinations across Europe and Africa. While many routes remain seasonal, the growing winter schedule makes the airport more useful to local passengers throughout the year.

For travellers living across Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and parts of Lancashire, Liverpool can offer a much simpler airport experience than Manchester. It has a single terminal, shorter walking distances and generally less complicated road access.

The challenge has always been the breadth and frequency of its route network. The latest Ryanair expansion helps to address that weakness, particularly for European city breaks.

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Despite Liverpool’s growth, Manchester Airport remains in an entirely different category.

Manchester handled a record 32 million passengers during 2025, almost six times Liverpool’s total. It offers a substantial long-haul network alongside domestic, European and leisure routes, with direct flights to destinations across North America, the Middle East, Asia and the Caribbean.

Ryanair alone will operate 66 routes from Manchester during winter 2026, supported by 19 based aircraft and approximately 3.5 million seats. Its programme includes a new service to Warsaw Modlin and additional frequencies on 26 existing routes.

By comparison, Liverpool’s Ryanair operation will comprise 27 routes and six based aircraft.

Manchester therefore offers considerably more choice and frequency, particularly for passengers connecting to long-haul destinations or travelling somewhere not served from Liverpool.

Liverpool’s advantage is convenience. Passengers who can find the route and dates they need may prefer its smaller terminal and simpler journey through the airport, especially if they live west of Manchester.

The two airports do not need to compete on equal terms. Manchester functions as the North of England’s principal international gateway, while Liverpool is increasingly establishing itself as a convenient and competitive alternative for direct European travel.

The expansion should create additional competition between the two airports, particularly on routes served from both.

Milan, Copenhagen, Porto, Gdańsk and Warsaw are already accessible from Manchester. Offering those destinations from Liverpool gives passengers another option and may place downward pressure on fares, especially for travellers who can use either airport.

The final price will still depend on more than the basic airfare. Passengers should compare baggage charges, seat selection, parking and the cost of reaching each airport before deciding which departure offers the best value.

A £20 fare from Manchester may not be cheaper overall if reaching the airport requires an expensive train journey or several days of parking. Equally, Liverpool’s convenience may not compensate for a poorly timed flight or a route operating only twice per week.

The best choice will depend on the complete cost and schedule rather than the airport name alone.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport will not challenge Manchester for overall scale, long-haul connectivity or frequency, but it does not need to.

Its value lies in providing a simpler regional alternative with an increasingly useful European network. Retaining a sixth Ryanair aircraft through the winter and adding connections to six popular destinations represents another significant step in the airport’s growth.

Some of the routes are extensions of services already offered during summer rather than completely new destinations, but year-round connectivity is arguably more valuable than another short seasonal launch.

For passengers across Merseyside and the western side of the North West, the question is becoming less about whether Liverpool offers enough choice and more about whether there is still any reason to make the longer journey to Manchester.