Home » Airlines News of Europe » UK Joins Spain, France and Belgium in Ryanair’s Bold Move to Cut 60 Routes This Winter – Flights from Belfast, Glasgow and Leeds Affected
Published on
November 15, 2025
By: Paramita Sarkar
Ryanair has confirmed the discontinuation of sixty routes for the Winter 2025/26 season, affecting passengers traveling from the UK, Spain, France, and Belgium. Starting in late October 2025, the airline will pull several international connections, including notable routes like Belfast International (BFS) to Valencia (VLC), Glasgow (GLA) to Brussels Charleroi (CRL), and Leeds/Bradford (LBA) to Paris Beauvais (BVA), as part of its winter schedule optimization. These cuts come amid rising operational costs, airport charges, and air traffic control issues.
This significant change to Ryanair’s winter offering highlights the ongoing pressures facing airlines across Europe. The move has left many passengers searching for alternative flights, with the airline opting to scale back its services to more profitable and strategically important routes across the UK, Spain, France, and Belgium.
Why Is Ryanair Cutting These Routes?
The airline has cited higher taxes, increased airport fees, and air traffic control constraints as the primary reasons behind these cuts. Although Ryanair has not issued a formal statement for the 60 specific routes, earlier communications from the airline have pointed to these financial pressures as ongoing challenges. Additionally, government-imposed charges in countries like the UK, Spain, and France have been flagged as contributing factors. This, combined with rising costs in the aviation sector, has prompted Ryanair to reduce capacity for the 2025/26 winter season.
The cuts to flights are part of a broader strategy to focus on higher-demand routes and optimize operational costs. As a result, the airline will operate 1 million fewer seats to Spain alone during the winter months. These measures are also aligned with the airline’s ongoing goal to balance profitability with market conditions in Europe.
What Routes Are Affected?
- Belfast International to Valencia
The Belfast to Valencia route, previously seasonal, will no longer be available during the Winter 2025/26 period. Ryanair’s schedule for Belfast will focus on other destinations like Alicante, Faro, and Krakow, but Valencia will be absent from the offering. This decision aligns with broader reductions at Valencia base in Spain, where several routes, including two from UK airports, are being eliminated. - Glasgow to Brussels Charleroi
The Glasgow to Brussels Charleroi route has also been dropped for the upcoming winter season. While Ryanair will maintain 58 other routes from Glasgow, including new destinations such as Malta and Rzeszow, Brussels Charleroi will no longer be part of the airline’s network. Passengers will have to explore other options to travel from Scotland to Belgium, as this route will not be available for winter. - Leeds/Bradford to Paris Beauvais
The Leeds Bradford to Paris Beauvais route, which had previously operated three times a week, will also be discontinued. This service will not be included in Ryanair’s winter schedule, which will focus on routes like Warsaw and Dublin. With seats to Beauvais being cut by approximately 150,000 for the winter season, passengers will need to find alternate travel options to Paris.
What Does This Mean for Passengers?
For passengers affected by these route cuts, Ryanair has provided rebooking options and refunds through its travel updates page. Although the changes won’t affect existing bookings immediately, passengers with reservations for these routes will need to check with the airline for alternative arrangements. Other carriers like EasyJet and British Airways may offer similar services on these routes, though fares may be higher than those available with Ryanair.
Are More Cuts Coming?
These recent cancellations follow a series of similar reductions earlier in the year. In September 2025, Ryanair announced the cancellation of 15 European routes. These ongoing cuts indicate that Ryanair is likely to continue its route optimization strategy in response to external financial pressures. Government-imposed fees in countries such as the UK, Spain, and France are likely to continue influencing Ryanair’s scheduling decisions in the coming months.
What Are the Alternatives?
For passengers looking for alternatives to these discontinued routes, there are several options. Other low-cost carriers like EasyJet and Wizz Air may provide competitive services on similar routes. However, passengers should be prepared for potentially higher prices and less flexibility compared to Ryanair’s budget-friendly options.
It is important for passengers to stay updated by checking Ryanair’s official website for the most current information regarding flight cancellations and available alternatives.
Image Credit: Ryanair
