Ryanair is adding a new route and extra flights from Barcelona this winter. Credit : BearFotos, Shutterstock
Planning a winter break from Barcelona? Ryanair is adding a new destination and expanding its service to several popular European cities. But despite this expansion of its winter schedule, the carrier will keep its overall capacity constant, despite the rising cost of jet fuel which is putting increasing pressure on the industry.
In the season from late October 2026 to the end of March 2027, the airline will operate 53 routes out of Barcelona-El Prat, among them a new connection with Poznań, Poland. There will be three flights a week.
Passengers travelling to Venice, Naples, Kraków, Porto and Budapest will also be able to take advantage of the additional flights that will give them more opportunities for departure when they plan a winter vacation or visit their relatives abroad.
Vueling, which is the largest at the airport, is still to dominate. Almost three times as many seats will be available on it than on Ryanair.
The latest schedules available for passengers comparing flight offers during the winter season provide information on where more choice is being offered, which new routes are being established, and why prices continue to fluctuate.
Ryanair Barcelona winter flights: new Poznań route and more European connections
This winter Ryanair will be offering 3.6 million seats across 53 different routes, matching the capacity and number of routes offered during the previous winter season.
The most important thing for passengers is the new line from Barcelona to Poznań, which is going to be operating three times a week. Poznań in Poland joins Ryanair’s existing network from El Prat, while several established European destinations will receive additional services.
It has been announced that the airline will increase its services on about twenty routes, including Venice, Naples, Kraków, Porto and Budapest.
Poland and Italy are among the biggest beneficiaries.
In addition, Ryanair is increasing its capacity on routes to Poland by 9%, and to Italy by 31%, so giving more choice to passengers who want to go from Barcelona to these destinations.
For a holiday-maker, additional departures make it easier to find flights that suit the long weekend or days off work. The new route, however, will not lead to cheaper tickets. The fare will be set according to supply and demand, availability and date of travel.
In spite of these changes to individual routes, the overall structure of the Ryanair Barcelona operation remains unchanged.
The expected number of passengers carried by the company in the current winter season amounts to about 9.3 million, the same figure as last winter. It will also continue to operate 14 aircraft based at Barcelona-El Prat, an investment that is estimated to be worth approximately $1.4 billion (€1.25 billion).
At a time when the whole industry is being put under pressure by rising fuel prices and by delays in deliveries of new aircraft, the decision to maintain overall capacity was a welcome one.
Vueling vs Ryanair at Barcelona Airport: which airline offers more winter flights?
Although Ryanair has bolstered its presence in several European destinations, Vueling remains by far the largest air carrier at Barcelona-El Prat.
The Spanish carrier, a part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), is offering from Barcelona, during the winter season of 2026-2027, approximately 10 million seats to about 90 destinations.Of those, 5.4 million seats are allocated to international routes.
Ryanair, by comparison, is offering 3.6 million seats across 53 routes.
The difference is of particular importance for passengers who are looking for a direct flight.
Vueling, with its wider range, offers more choice to the traveller, whereas on some routes, increased frequency might enable them to catch a later flight to Italy, Poland or Portugal.Both have been fairly cautious about the overall winter capacity, without expanding the network out of El Prat.
The situation is different at Madrid-Barajas Airport. Ryanair is increasing its winter capacity in Madrid by 6 per cent, adding approximately 200,000 seats, to an estimated total of 3.4 million seats.
By this time, the company will be serving 51 routes from Madrid, as compared to 53 from Barcelona. And it will have 14 aircraft based at each airport.
These figures show how closely these two Spanish airports are occupied by Ryanair and Vueling, although Vueling maintains a considerable lead in the market in Barcelona.
In Spain as a whole, however, Ryanair is still the main carrier in terms of both passengers and available seat capacity.
What Ryanair’s Barcelona winter schedule means for travellers
For passengers, the biggest change is more choice on selected European routes rather than a major expansion at Barcelona Airport.
The new three-times-weekly service to Poznań adds another direct destination, while increased frequencies to Venice, Naples, Kraków, Porto and Budapest could give travellers greater flexibility when choosing departure dates and times.
However, Ryanair is keeping its overall Barcelona capacity at 3.6 million seats, unchanged from last winter. That means the additional flights on some routes do not represent an overall increase in seats from El Prat.
There is also no guarantee that the extra frequencies will mean cheaper fares. Airlines continue to face higher fuel costs, with Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary warning that the industry could face elevated costs for more than a year.
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