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Ryanair’s winter cuts in Greece take effect with the start of the winter schedule on Sunday, October 25, 2026. The airline is closing its three-aircraft base in Thessaloniki for the season, dropping 12 routes and suspending all winter flights at Chania and Heraklion on Crete. In total it says it is removing 700,000 seats from Greece this winter, 45% fewer than last winter.
Ryanair announced the plan in May and blamed airport charges. If you were hoping to fly Ryanair to Crete or to and from Thessaloniki between late October and the spring, check your booking and look at other airlines now. Summer flights are not part of this announcement, which covers the winter season only.
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If you still plan to visit Crete this winter by another route, our guide to where to stay in Chania compares the town’s neighborhoods for a stay in the quieter months.
- Starts: winter schedule from Sunday, October 25, 2026.
- Thessaloniki: three-aircraft base closed for winter.
- Crete: no Ryanair winter flights at Chania or Heraklion.
- Routes: 12 cancelled, including Athens to Milan Bergamo.
- Seats: 700,000 fewer, down 45% on last winter.
Thessaloniki Base Closes and Crete Loses Winter Flights
Ryanair said on May 8 that it would close its three-aircraft Thessaloniki base for Winter 2026, cut 700,000 seats in Greece and suspend operations at Chania and Heraklion. The 12 routes it listed are Thessaloniki to Berlin, Chania, Frankfurt Hahn, Gothenburg, Heraklion, Niederrhein, Poznan, Stockholm, Venice Treviso and Zagreb, plus Athens to Milan Bergamo and Chania to Paphos.
Euronews reported the same cuts, including the withdrawal of three aircraft from Thessaloniki and the suspension of winter operations at the two Crete airports. Greek outlet Tornos News described the 700,000 seats as a Greece-wide figure, the result of the Thessaloniki closure, reduced capacity in Athens and the Crete suspension.
Why Ryanair Is Cutting Greece This Winter
Ryanair says Greek airports failed to pass on to airlines and passengers a 75% cut in the Airport Development Fee made by the Greek government. Chief commercial officer Jason McGuinness said the reductions were a direct result of that failure, particularly in Thessaloniki, where he said Fraport Greece had raised charges by 66% since 2019. Fraport Greece runs 14 regional airports in Greece, including Thessaloniki and Chania.
In a follow-up statement on May 13, Ryanair said it wanted to grow in Greece but would only do so if Fraport Greece froze charges and passed on the fee reduction, and it called on the government to open the airports to competition. We found no Ryanair announcement reversing the winter plan since then.
Winter is the quieter part of the Greek travel year, so the cuts fall most on residents, students and off-season visitors. Travelers planning a winter city break in Thessaloniki lose direct Ryanair links to Berlin, Frankfurt Hahn, Gothenburg, Poznan, Stockholm, Venice Treviso and Zagreb for the season, and will need another airline or a connection.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hold a Ryanair winter booking to Crete | Check your booking; ask for a refund or rerouting if cancelled. |
| Fly one of the 12 routes this winter | Look at other airlines or a connection through Athens. |
| Plan a winter trip to Thessaloniki | Compare full-service and other low-cost airlines now. |
| Travel to Greece next summer | No change announced; this covers winter only. |
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Refunds, Rerouting and Other Ways to Reach Crete
Ryanair is an EU airline, so if it cancels a flight you have booked, you can choose a refund or rerouting under EU air passenger rules. How much notice you received affects whether compensation also applies. Keep the cancellation email, and do not accept a voucher if you would rather have your money back.
Other airlines still fly to Greece in winter, and Athens remains the main hub for domestic connections to Crete and Thessaloniki, both by air and, for Crete, by overnight ferry from the port of Piraeus. For travelers from the rest of Europe, a connection through Athens will often be the simplest winter option while Ryanair’s Crete flights are paused.
Crete has been in the news this autumn, from the tourist bus strike in September to the opening of the Hilton Chania Old Town resort. Check our news section for other airline schedule changes before you book a winter trip.
October 25. Winter cuts begin.
12 routes. Cancelled for the season.
Two Crete airports. No Ryanair winter flights.
Is Ryanair stopping flights to Crete?
For winter 2026, yes. Ryanair is suspending operations at Chania and Heraklion for the season.
When do Ryanair’s Greece cuts start?
With the winter schedule, which begins on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
Which Ryanair routes are cancelled?
Twelve routes, mostly from Thessaloniki, plus Athens to Milan Bergamo and Chania to Paphos.
Are summer Ryanair flights to Greece affected?
The announcement covers winter only. Ryanair has said it wants to grow in Greece if charges fall.
