Ryanair has revealed a base at Nuremberg next summer. Unusually, it isn't a new base, as it had aircraft stationed there until 2020, with the closure unconnected to COVID. It'll base two aircraft at Nuremberg and has added 13 routes for a total of 27 next summer.

Ryanair 737-800
Photo: Ryanair.

What's happening?

Ryanair will reopen its base at Nuremberg, normally Germany's 10th-busiest airport located between Frankfurt and Munich. The ultra-low-cost carrier first served the airport in 2013 with six sun and big city routes.

It became a base in late 2016, and it had over one million round-trip seats in each of the next three years, Cirium data shows. It had 1.2 million for sale in 2019, its highest to date, when it had a one-fifth (22%) share of the airport's capacity.

Nuremberg closed as a base in 2020, reportedly "solely" due to a shortage of B737 MAX aircraft. Of course, bases usually shut down due to underperformance or negotiating over fees and charges. After all, aircraft are movable assets, and they can be moved to wherever may be better, greatly influenced by the deal. The changes to Nuremberg's charges structure have undoubtedly helped get it back.

B737 MAX
Ryanair previously said that delays in MAX deliveries was the reason it shut its Nuremberg. It said the same for closing Stockholm Skavsta too, which has since shifted to Arlanda. Photo: Ryanair.

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The second base in two months

Nuremberg reopening follows the ultra-low-cost carrier last month revealing Funchal as a base. They're two of many added since the pandemic started, joining the likes of Agadir, Beauvais, Billund, Corfu, Chania, Helsinki, Malaga, Newcastle, Stockholm Arlanda, Riga, Treviso, Turin, and Venice Marco Porto.

Nuremberg and Funchal come despite Ryanair's Commercial Director saying in October that he didn't expect any new bases until at least winter 2022. However, he quickly clarified that it is always open to deals and can quickly move aircraft around when needed.

Ryanair's Nuremberg network in summer 2022
When writing, Ryanair will have 27 routes from Nuremberg next summer. Wizz Air operated Nuremberg-Sofia from 2016 to 2020, so it is a readymade market. Image: GCMap.

15 routes added at Nuremberg

Ryanair has added 15 routes, as detailed below, of which 10 haven't been served by the airline before. It also revealed Venice Marco Polo in October and Funchal in November. There's a good emphasis on visiting friends and relatives demand, which the airport's management said is "significant" and would be critical for the recovery, along with outbound leisure destinations.

  1. Banja Luka: twice-weekly from March 31st
  2. Bari (previously served 2017 to 2019): twice-weekly from March 29th
  3. Cagliari (2013): twice-weekly from April 1st
  4. Chania: twice-weekly from June 4th
  5. Dublin: four-weekly from March 30th
  6. Faro: three-weekly from March 30th
  7. Girona: three-weekly from March 28th
  8. Ibiza: twice-weekly from June 4th
  9. Kraków (2017-2019): three-weekly from March 29th
  10. Lviv: twice-weekly from March 30th
  11. Naples (2019-2020): twice-weekly from March 29th
  12. Porto (2013-2020): twice-weekly from March 30th
  13. Sofia: twice-weekly from April 1st
  14. Tallinn: twice-weekly from April 1st
  15. Valencia: twice-weekly from March 31st

Ryanair will have 27 routes from Nuremberg next summer, four more than in summer 2019. However, Crotone, Kaunas, Kyiv Boryspil, Madrid, Malta, Marrakesh, Manchester, Rome Ciampino, and Vilnius are no longer served.

Have you flown Ryanair to Germany? Let us know in the comments.