Ryanair has decided to discontinue its Dublin‑to‑Palanga and Belfast‑to‑Kaunas services for the summer of 2026, citing a steep rise in airport access charges that has eroded the profitability of the routes.
The airline cited a 30 % hike in fees at Vilnius Airport as the primary driver, noting that the increased costs make Lithuania less competitive compared with other Central and Eastern European markets where Ryanair operates. The fee increase has pushed the route’s net loss margin beyond the company’s acceptable threshold.
The cut will leave Lithuania with zero growth for the summer, as the airline will maintain flat capacity at Vilnius and across the country, and Vilnius will lose one of its scheduled services. The decision is part of a broader network review that has seen Ryanair trim several routes that no longer meet its cost‑efficiency standards.
Ryanair plans to reallocate the capacity freed by the cancellations to lower‑cost, high‑growth markets elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe, a move that aligns with its long‑standing strategy of concentrating resources on the most profitable segments of its network.
The route reductions are an operational adjustment rather than a financial loss, but they signal Ryanair’s continued focus on maintaining a lean, high‑yield model in the face of rising infrastructure costs across its European network.
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