Ryanair is closing its base at Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) for the winter 2026 season and dropping ten routes, three of them from Germany. If you are used to a cheap direct hop from Berlin, Frankfurt-Hahn or Weeze to northern Greece, that option largely disappears once the summer schedule ends. Thessaloniki stays well connected to Germany through other airlines, though, and with a little planning the winter trip need not cost a fortune. Here is exactly what is changing, why, and how to reach SKG from Germany without Ryanair.
What Ryanair is cutting at Thessaloniki
Ryanair is pulling its three based aircraft out of Thessaloniki for winter 2026, which the airline says removes around 500,000 seats — roughly 60 percent of its winter capacity at the airport — and ends ten routes. The destinations dropped for the season are Berlin, Frankfurt-Hahn, Niederrhein (Weeze), Poznań, Gothenburg and Stockholm, along with the domestic and regional links to Chania, Heraklion, Venice-Treviso and Zagreb. The airline set out the decision in its corporate announcement, blaming higher airport charges and singling out Fraport Greece for raising fees by 66 percent since 2019 and failing to pass on a cut to the Airport Development Fee. Whatever the commercial dispute behind it, the practical effect for travellers is fewer ultra-cheap direct options into northern Greece over the colder months.
The scope matters, though. This is a winter change: the peak summer schedule that carries most Halkidiki holidaymakers is a separate season, so a trip booked for July or August is not what is being cut here. And a base closure is not an airline leaving entirely — Ryanair may still run selected Greek flights, and has left the door open to summer 2027 — but the dependable, everyday low-cost links from these German airports are what fall away for winter.
What it means if you fly from Germany
For German travellers, the routes disappearing are the three Ryanair flew from Thessaloniki — Berlin, Frankfurt-Hahn and Niederrhein (Weeze). Those were the budget backbone for visiting family, reaching a place on the coast, or travelling to Halkidiki out of season. Losing them does not cut Germany off from Thessaloniki: Berlin in particular keeps a non-stop link through Aegean, and the big hubs never relied on Ryanair in the first place. What changes is that the remaining direct flights are mostly full-service, which tends to price higher in the quiet months, so booking early matters more than it used to. If your dates are fixed, such as a Christmas or half-term visit, reserve as far ahead as you can rather than waiting for a late deal that may not come.
The alternatives from Germany
The main replacement is Aegean, Greece's largest carrier, which flies to Thessaloniki from a broad spread of German airports and keeps a winter schedule. Depending on the season, Aegean and its partners connect SKG non-stop with Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart, and fares are more reasonable than the full-service label suggests when booked ahead. On some of those routes easyJet also operates seasonally.
| From Germany | Winter option to Thessaloniki (SKG) |
|---|---|
| Berlin, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Hannover, Cologne, Nuremberg | Aegean direct on selected days (easyJet on some routes); one-way fares can start under €80 when booked early |
| Frankfurt, Munich | Aegean plus Lufthansa-group direct services — the widest winter choice |
| Smaller regional airports | One connection via Frankfurt, Munich or Athens, often the cheapest option in deep winter |
Sample one-way fares in early winter have appeared from roughly €48 out of Stuttgart and around €78 from Düsseldorf on Aegean, though prices move with demand, so treat those as a floor rather than a promise; the live figures are on the Aegean website. Where there is no direct flight on your dates, a single connection through Frankfurt, Munich or Athens usually beats an awkward two-leg budget routing on price and total travel time. It is also worth checking which carriers and routes are listed for the season on our Thessaloniki Airport airlines guide and the broader flights overview, which we keep aligned with the airport's own schedule.
Getting from the airport to Halkidiki
The ground side of the trip is the easy part. Thessaloniki Airport sits south-east of the city, and the coast is a short drive away. For Halkidiki the simplest arrival is a door-to-door transfer, especially on a winter evening when bus frequencies drop; our airport-to-Halkidiki guide compares the options, and a flight-tracked car booked through GetTransfer.com holds one fixed price even if your connection runs late. Airport facts, terminal details and connections are on the operator's website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ryanair stopping all flights to Thessaloniki?
No. Ryanair is closing its winter 2026 base and dropping ten routes, including Berlin, Frankfurt-Hahn and Weeze, but it is a seasonal capacity cut rather than a full withdrawal. The busy summer schedule is a separate matter, and other airlines continue to serve Thessaloniki year-round.
Can I still fly Ryanair to Thessaloniki in summer 2026?
The cuts announced apply to the winter 2026 season. Summer services are scheduled separately, so a summer booking is not affected by this base closure. Always confirm the specific route and date directly with the airline before you plan around it.
What is the cheapest way from Germany to Thessaloniki this winter?
Book early on Aegean from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Hamburg or Hannover, or take a single connection via Frankfurt, Munich or Athens from smaller German airports. Booking ahead matters more now that the low-cost direct routes are gone for the season.
Summary
Ryanair's winter 2026 pull-back closes its Thessaloniki base and ends its Berlin, Frankfurt-Hahn and Weeze routes, so its cheap direct links from Germany disappear for the cold season while the summer schedule stays intact. Aegean keeps Thessaloniki connected non-stop from Berlin and the major German airports, the Lufthansa group covers Frankfurt and Munich, and a single connection covers the rest — provided you book earlier than you would have for a Ryanair seat. Sort the flight, and the short transfer from the airport to the coast is the easy part.
