Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) is to re-enter the German domestic market later this year with the launch of 4x daily Cologne/Bonn-Berlin Schönefeld flights during the Winter 2015/16 season. Ryanair had previously dabbled in the local German market with flights from Berlin–Schönefeld to Bremen Hans Koschnick, Düsseldorf Weeze and Frankfurt Hahn.

The move is part of a USD300 million investment into its Cologne operations which will see its based B737-800 fleet growing from the current one aircraft, to three by year-end.

Early this year, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said his airline would aim to grow its share of the German market from its current 4%, to 15-20% by 2018/19 by establishing a presence at at least twenty central German airports, including Munich but excluding Frankfurt International - home to Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International).

Currently, the market is dominated by Air Berlin (1991), Eurowings, germanwings, Lufthansa, and TUI fly (Germany).