Ryanair Boosts Pescara Airport With Record Routes and 1.3M Passengers

Ryanair Holdings’ RYAAY announcement marks a major step forward for Pescara Airport and the Abruzzo Region, as the scrapping of the Municipal Tax directly drives an 80% surge in passenger traffic. The airline is investing $200 million and basing two aircraft year-round, its first-ever winter deployment at Pescara, while expanding to a record number of routes for Winter 2025 and Summer 2026. These moves strengthen the airport’s connectivity and reinforce Abruzzo’s growing appeal within Ryanair’s Italian network.

The Abruzzo Region’s decision to abolish the tax has made the Italian city of Pescara far more competitive, and Ryanair has responded decisively by adding capacity, launching new routes and supporting over 1,000 jobs. Leaders, including President Marsilio and SAGA’s (Abruzzo Airport Management Society’s) President Fraccastoro, highlighted how the policy shift accelerated passenger milestones and boosted enthusiasm across the airport. Their comments show how coordinated action between the airline and local authorities actively fuels tourism growth and encourages further infrastructure improvements.

Ryanair is now urging the Italian Government to extend this tax removal nationwide, stating it could unlock 20 million additional passengers, 40 new aircraft and more than 250 new routes across Italy. As Pescara records its busiest seasons and prepares for further expansion, its momentum illustrates how proactive policy decisions and airline investment can reshape regional air travel and deliver meaningful economic benefits.

Share Price Performance

Driven by such expansion efforts, shares of RYAAY have gained 51.1% over the past year, outperforming the 9.4% growth of its Zacks Transportation - Airline industry.  

Ryanair’s Zacks Rank

RYAAY currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Stocks to Consider

Investors interested in the Zacks Transportation sector may consider Expeditors International of Washington EXPD and SkyWest SKYW.

EXPD currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

EXPD has an expected earnings growth rate of 3.5% for the current year.  The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 13.94%.

SKYW currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

SkyWest has an expected earnings growth rate of 33% for the current year.  The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 21.24%.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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