Irish ultra low-cost carrier (ULCC) Ryanair has secured additional slots in Warsaw’s Chopin Airport — Poland’s main gateway — for the Summer 2024 season. The increase was revealed on the airport’s Initial Coordination Report for the season, made available by slot coordinator ACL.
The airline was allocated 2,321 movements, a increase from previously allocated 1,387, the figure rolled over from the previous Summer season. Ryanair UK, the group’s UK business unit, would have 120 movements (versus zero), with Buzz, the group’s Polish unit, will have 284 movements (versus 826). In total, this would represent a growth of 18.8% in movements versus the previous season.
Slot coordination reports do not mean the routes indicated will be operated, or that the assigned slots will be used, although having the slot in a coordinated airport is fundamental. However, the report indicates Ryanair would be initially interested in adding 15 destinations to its portfolio in the airport (map below).
At the moment, Ryanair has not yet confirmed any of this potential growth in Chopin, nor has it added in its sales channels or loaded on Cirium’s Diio Mi application.
The bulk of Ryanair’s operations in Warsaw remains in secondary Modlin Airport, less than an hour away from the city center. There, it has seven aircraft based and operated by Buzz. The group, however, restarted its regular operations to Chopin — less than a half-hour from the city center — on Summer 2023.
By setting this foothold in the Polish capital’s most important airport, Ryanair cited the lack of interest from authorities for allowing infrastructure growth in Modlin, where the group is the sole regular operator. Growth in Warsaw, then, would come through Chopin, where all competition is.
On Summer 2023, Ryanair operated 55 regular routes from Modlin, with Chopin seeing five nonstop connections.
