It might feel far off, but summer 2027 flight schedules are already going on sale, and Europe's two biggest budget airlines have kicked things off with 47 fresh routes between them. If you like planning holidays early — or you just want first pick of the cheap fares — this is worth a look.
Ryanair has led the way with the first 29 new routes of what it calls a bumper summer schedule. Once complete, the carrier expects to operate around 2,500 routes to 230 destinations, serving its 214 million annual passengers across Europe. The airline's chief marketing officer Dara Brady framed the early release as a chance for price-conscious travellers to lock in the lowest fares before demand pushes them up, pointing people to the Ryanair app and website. More new routes are promised as the schedule fills out.
easyJet, meanwhile, has unveiled 18 new routes plus package holiday options, all departing from the UK, where it flies from 22 airports on more than 650 routes to 139 destinations. Spain is the clear focus: six of the new routes head there, including Girona — a first for the airline from the UK and a handy gateway to the Costa Brava beyond the Barcelona crowds. The other big theme is Scotland, where easyJet is already the largest airline. Six of the new routes will run from Aberdeen and Edinburgh, good news for travellers in the north who want more direct options without connecting through London or Manchester.
It's not just the budget duo expanding. American Airlines, United Airlines and Azerbaijan Airlines are all planning additional direct services to and from Europe for summer 2027, so the wider long-haul picture should also look busier by the time next summer rolls around.
So why care now? Airlines typically release their cheapest fare buckets first, and these early announcements are essentially an invitation to book before peak-season pricing kicks in. If you've got a fixed summer 2027 trip in mind — a school holiday break, a wedding, a Spanish beach week — booking early from your local airport could save real money. And with easyJet now selling package holidays alongside flights, it's competing more directly with the traditional tour operators too, which keeps prices honest across the board. Expect more route announcements from both carriers over the coming months as the full summer 2027 network takes shape.
Story via Travel Tomorrow.
