EasyJet has expanded its presence at Nürnberg Airport, launching services from Manchester and announcing additional connections with London Gatwick, London Luton and Milan Malpensa. The routes will operate between two and four times a week and are initially scheduled to run until March.
The first EasyJet aircraft arrived in Nürnberg from Manchester on Monday. Flights from London Gatwick are due to begin on November 19, followed by London Luton on November 23 and Milan Malpensa four days later.
The timing reflects the expected demand for travel to the city’s Christkindlesmarkt, which opens on November 27. Around two million people visited the market last year, according to the city. EasyJet’s Germany country manager, Stephan Erler, said Nürnberg was particularly attractive during the winter season because of international demand generated by the Christmas market and NürnbergMesse.
The airline’s decision to focus the new routes on the colder months comes despite the fact that air travel generally reaches its highest levels during summer. The services are aimed primarily at passengers travelling between Nürnberg and the United Kingdom, while the Milan connection adds another international link.
Airlines are expanding routes against a difficult cost backdrop. Fuel prices have risen, and Ryanair, which also operates at Nürnberg, reported a decline of more than 15 percent in pretax earnings during the first half of its financial year. The company said fuel prices could remain high well into 2027 if there is no swift resolution to the conflict in the Middle East.
Higher fuel costs generally put pressure on ticket prices. Data from Germany’s Federal Statistical Office showed that many international flights became substantially more expensive recently. Travellers flying to destinations elsewhere in Europe during the first half of the year paid an average of just over 11.5 percent more than in the same period a year earlier.
Passenger trends at Bavaria’s three major airports have varied. During the first half of 2026, the state recorded fewer flights and passengers overall than in 2025, but only Munich reported a decline in passenger numbers. Nürnberg handled around two million travellers, an increase of 6.3 percent, while Memmingen recorded 1.8 million passengers, up 7.8 percent.
Demand for holidays and visits to relatives remains strong, even as airlines and airports face intense competition. Memmingen has invested in additional gates in an effort to retain low-cost carriers such as Ryanair. Its mix of traditional holiday destinations and links to Eastern Europe is also considered successful, including for people with roots in countries such as Romania who live in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
The new EasyJet services could nevertheless intensify an existing debate around Nürnberg Airport. Residents have recently complained about the number and noise of night flights. In September, a citizens’ initiative demonstrated at Kornmarkt in favour of banning tourist night flights, saying that around 1,000 people attended.
Sources: Süddeutsche Zeitung.