Ryanair to Reopen Trapani Base in Early 2026
Ryanair will reestablish its base at Trapani Airport in Sicily in January 2026, a decade after closing its operations there. The Irish low-cost giant confirmed it will initially station two Boeing 737s at the airport, though it has not yet decided which variant or which operating certificate (AOC) will be used for the flights.
The new base will support a major network expansion, with Ryanair adding routes to Bari, Bournemouth, Saarbrücken, Verona, and Stockholm, bringing the total number of services from Trapani to 23. The move underscores Ryanair’s ongoing push to grow its footprint in southern Europe, particularly as regional governments ease financial burdens on airlines.
CEO Eddie Wilson credited Sicily’s decision to scrap the municipal tax on small airports as a key factor in the reopening. He urged the island’s government to extend the measure to all Sicilian airports and said Ryanair could base up to 40 additional aircraft across Italy if the national government abolished the tax nationwide.
Ryanair’s fleet includes 205 Boeing 737-800s and 127 high-capacity Boeing 737-8-200s, with operations spread across affiliates such as Malta Air and Buzz in Poland. Ryanair UK and Lauda Europe operate the 737-800 and Airbus A320-200 respectively.
Data from ch-aviation shows Ryanair already dominates Trapani, accounting for 85% of the airport’s weekly scheduled passenger capacity. Currently, the carrier connects Trapani with 18 destinations across Europe, alongside smaller operators GoTo Fly and Denmark’s DAT. The new base signals a renewed commitment to the Sicilian market.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com