File photo: A generic Ryanair Boeing 737 photographed in Barcelona in 2019 — NOT the new Birmingham aircraft, NOT a 2026 photo.
Ryanair has based a ninth aircraft at Birmingham Airport for winter 2026, describing the move as a US$900 million investment in the West Midlands supporting more than 3,270 local jobs. The announcement was made on Wednesday, October 21, on the airline's corporate site.
The additional aircraft delivers five new routes: Copenhagen, Rome Fiumicino, Warsaw Modlin, Marrakesh and Tirana. Ryanair has also increased frequencies on seven existing routes, including city-break favourites Barcelona, Poznan and Budapest. In total, the Birmingham winter 2026 schedule spans 40 routes, Routes Online reports.
The ninth aircraft represents one more based jet than in winter 2025, underlining Ryanair's continued bet on regional UK airports. The new links to Copenhagen and Rome add business-friendly city connections for the West Midlands, while Marrakesh offers a winter-sun escape with mild temperatures through the colder months, and Tirana continues its rise as a bargain-friendly city break for British travellers.
The Birmingham expansion is part of a wider Ryanair winter push across the UK that includes 22 new routes from airports such as Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Stansted and Bristol, according to recent schedule analysis. The airline says the extra capacity will lift its Birmingham operation by 21 percent to 4 million passengers, giving customers in the region more low-fare choice and regular connections through the winter season. The Birmingham announcement follows Ryanair's unveiling of 22 new winter routes across UK airports including Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Stansted and Bristol. The airline's winter 2026 schedule represents one of its biggest UK expansions in recent years, with new city-break and winter-sun links designed to keep planes full through the quieter months. For West Midlands travellers, the message is simple: book early for the best fares on the new routes.
Photo: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons