UK-Bilbao flight capacity spikes ahead of UEFA Europa League final

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UK-Bilbao flight capacity spikes ahead of UEFA Europa League final

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Ryanair | Official Website

By Sky Industry News

May 26, 2025

Tomorrow, the city of Bilbao will host the UEFA Europa League Final at the San Mamés Stadium, where Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will compete. This event has led to a significant increase in flights from the UK to Bilbao, with a 94% rise in capacity as airlines respond to high demand from traveling fans.

Data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, indicates that 66 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports for Bilbao this week. This represents a substantial increase compared to usual traffic levels. The total number of departing seats available on these routes is 12,587, while returning flights offer 12,357 seats.

Ryanair has responded by adding two round trips from London Stansted Airport to Vitoria, providing an additional 800 seats. Jade Kirwan, Ryanair's Director of Communications, stated: "Ryanair has added 800 extra seats between Stansted and Vitoria for fans travelling to watch what’s set to be an unforgettable 2025 UEFA Europa League Final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at the Estadio de San Mamés in Bilbao on Wednesday, May 21st."

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The majority of the increased flight capacity is provided by Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling, which operates more than half of the scheduled flights. British Airways and easyJet also contribute significantly with their respective shares of flights from major UK airports.

In addition to direct flights to Bilbao, other nearby airports like San Sebastian are seeing increased traffic. There will be nine BA Cityflyer flights between the UK and San Sebastian this week.

Manchester Airport is also preparing for increased charter traffic due to the match. The airport is adorned with red lighting in anticipation of the event.