Thursday, July 31, 2025
Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, has further expanded its network at Plovdiv Airport with a new route to Milan-Malpensa for Winter 2025, operating twice weekly. This is a big step in the development of Ryanair’s strategy in Southern Bulgaria and makes Ryanair the largest airline in the region. The launch of this new direct service to Italy signifies another positive step by Ryanair to enhance regional connectivity in Bulgaria and provide more choice than ever for Bulgarian customers and visitors.
Enhancing Plovdiv Airport’s Connectivity
Ryanair’s Winter 2025/26 flight schedule represents a major milestone in the airline’s long-term investment at Plovdiv Airport. The new addition of Milan-Malpensa brings the total number of routes from Plovdiv to four, all linking the city to prominent European destinations. Notably, this marks the return of a direct service to Italy, a connection that has been missing since 2018. The Milan route will operate twice a week—on Fridays and Sundays—starting on October 26, 2025.
This route provides a convenient travel option for passengers looking to explore the cultural and economic hubs of Italy, while also offering opportunities for Italian travelers to discover the beauty of Southern Bulgaria. With a direct connection to Milan, one of Italy’s most iconic cities, Ryanair aims to boost both outbound travel from Plovdiv and inbound tourism to Bulgaria, enhancing the region’s tourism and economic prospects.
Expanding Travel Choices and Supporting Economic Growth
The new Milan-Malpensa route is part of Ryanair’s broader strategy to enhance travel options from Plovdiv, which has seen impressive growth over the past year. In addition to the new Italian route, Ryanair will also continue to operate its popular services to key destinations in the UK, including London-Stansted, Manchester, and Birmingham. This expansion represents a 27% growth in the airline’s services from Plovdiv compared to Winter 2024/25, reflecting increasing demand for affordable and direct travel options from Southern Bulgaria.
This growth brings significant benefits to the local economy, offering Bulgarian travelers greater access to key European cities while also encouraging tourism from international visitors. The direct routes to major destinations like Milan, London, and Manchester enhance Plovdiv’s attractiveness as a regional hub for both business and leisure travel.
Strengthening Bulgaria’s Regional Connectivity
Ryanair’s continued investment in Plovdiv Airport underscores the airline’s commitment to enhancing regional connectivity across Europe. With its low-cost travel model, Ryanair offers budget-friendly fares, making travel more accessible to a broader range of passengers. By expanding its winter schedule, Ryanair is not only supporting the local economy but also ensuring that more passengers can benefit from affordable travel to key European destinations.
The new Milan-Malpensa route will significantly enhance Plovdiv Airport’s connectivity to Italy, a hub renowned for its vibrant business, cultural, and artistic landscape. Milan is celebrated for its fashion, art, and gastronomy, while also serving as a key financial and industrial powerhouse. This direct service is set to strengthen the relationship between Southern Bulgaria and Italy, paving the way for increased tourism and trade opportunities between the two regions.
Local Job Creation and Economic Impact
The new route to Milan-Malpensa is expected to have a positive impact on the local economy in Southern Bulgaria, creating new job opportunities and supporting businesses in the region. Increased passenger traffic at Plovdiv Airport will require additional airport services, such as ground handling, customer service, and catering, leading to more employment opportunities. Furthermore, the rise in inbound tourism will benefit the local hospitality industry, including hotels, restaurants, and transportation providers.
Ryanair’s investment in Plovdiv also aligns with Bulgaria’s broader efforts to boost regional tourism and infrastructure development. By providing low-cost, direct flights to key European destinations, the airline plays a crucial role in making Southern Bulgaria more accessible to international visitors, which in turn supports the region’s broader economic development goals.
Alicja Wójcik-Gołębiowska, Ryanair’s Head of Communications CEE & Baltics, said: “As Bulgaria’s largest airline, Ryanair is delighted to announce further growth in Plovdiv with the launch of our new route to Milan-Malpensa in Winter 2025/26. This exciting addition not only strengthens Ryanair’s position in Southern Bulgaria, but also marks the first-ever connection between Plovdiv and Milan – a clear win for local travellers, inbound tourism, and business links. Unlike other higher-cost regional airports in Bulgaria, Plovdiv Airport and its stakeholders are focused on growing low-fare connectivity at the Airport, which will directly benefit regional tourism and businesses. This crucial expansion in Plovdiv would not have been possible without the continued support of Plovdiv Airport and local stakeholders who understand that competitive access costs are the only way to support low-fare connectivity. We look forward to building on this success and delivering even more connectivity and low fares at Plovdiv Airport over the next decade.”
Kostadin Dimitrov, Mayor of Municipality Plovdiv, said: “At the very beginning of the mandate, together with the team of the Plovdiv Airport Route Development Fund, we outlined clear steps that we are already implementing. The expansion of Ryanair’s activities in Plovdiv is beneficial to our city and the entire southeastern region. Such opportunities are due to the fact that the number of tourists here is increasing every year, there are numerous cultural events, as well as opportunities for winter tourism. I express my gratitude to the Ryanair team for their trust and commitment to our city. The expansion of your activities at Plovdiv Airport and the opening of new routes not only confirms the strategic importance of the region, but also opens up new opportunities for tourism, business and connectivity.”
Affordable Fares to Celebrate New Route
To celebrate the introduction of the Milan-Malpensa route and its expanded Winter 2025/26 schedule, Ryanair is offering a special seat sale with fares from Plovdiv starting as low as EUR 41.99. This promotional offer will allow travelers to take advantage of Ryanair’s famously low fares and plan their winter travel in advance. With the addition of Milan-Malpensa, passengers can look forward to exploring the cultural heart of Italy, all while enjoying the convenience and cost-effectiveness that Ryanair is known for.
Ryanair’s new Plovdiv – Milan-Malpensa service, gives Bulgarian consumers even more ways to book their post-Covid getaway to Italy as they roll out its low fare seats. This new route growth demonstrates Ryanair’s commitment to bringing new and improved connections, and grow regional traffic and tourism in Bulgaria. The more that airline extends their flight schedule out of Plovdiv, the more cheap and easy travel is available for both residents and non-residents. This expansion will drive local tourism and deliver lasting economic benefits for the community.
