Ryanair is leaving Serbia: cancelling all flights from Niš during the winter season
Ryanair will no longer fly from Constantine the Great Airport in Niš after the end of the summer timetable. The Irish carrier has confirmed that from the 2026/27 winter season it is suspending flights due to, as it states, regulatory problems related to fuel supply at the airport.
Moreover, the company did not explain the nature of the problem in more detail. Therefore, it is not possible to conclude for now whether this is a temporary decision or a longer-term withdrawal of Ryanair from Serbia.
Vienna and Malta are disappearing from the winter schedule
Ryanair currently operates year-round routes from Niš to Vienna and Malta. According to current ticket sales, the last flights on those routes are planned during October.
The seasonal route to Stockholm ends in late August, while operations to Corfu are scheduled to finish during September.
With the withdrawal of Ryanair, the number of carriers at Niš Airport is decreasing. Air Serbia and Wizz Air will continue to play a key role in scheduled passenger traffic.
Ten years of Ryanair in Niš
Ryanair entered the Serbian market in 2016 with a route between Niš and Berlin. Unlike Niš, the carrier has not developed operations in Belgrade, where it has repeatedly highlighted the level of operational costs as a problem.
Thanks to a combination of low-cost carriers and Air Serbia, Niš has built an important position for passengers from southern Serbia and surrounding markets in recent years.
The airport finished 2025 with 393,102 passengers, which is a 10 per cent increase compared to the previous year. There were also 3,868 aircraft movements.
The loss of low-cost capacity is more important than the number of routes itself
For Niš, the problem is not just the loss of a few destinations. With its model, Ryanair creates price pressure and opens up the market to passengers for whom Belgrade is not a practical alternative.
Lesser competition can therefore affect ticket prices, schedule choices, and the overall availability of southern Serbia to European markets. At the same time, the importance of future decisions by Wizz Air and Air Serbia regarding capacity in Niš is growing.
If the regulatory fuel issue turns out to be long-term, the consequences could be wider than the departure of a single carrier. For regional airports, reliable operating conditions are just as important as subsidies, demand or new infrastructure.
