Ryanair has nudged up its passenger target for the autumn amid signs of a "very strong recovery" in European short-haul flights, Chief Executive Michael O'Leary told Reuters in an interview today.
The Irish airline, Europe's largest by passenger numbers, is expected to fly 10.5 million passengers per month in September, October and November, O'Leary said.
That compares with a July forecast of an average of 10 million for each of those months..
"As long as there are no adverse COVID developments, things are set fair for a very strong recovery," O'Leary said ahead of a press briefing in Brussels.
The CEO also said Ryanair was on target to exceed its 10.5 million passenger target for August.
Capacity should return to pre-pandemic levels in October, from close to 90% in September and 80% in August, he added. But the airline is likely to fly with an average of 15-20% empty seats on planes this winter compared with 7-8% before the pandemic.
"Through the winter, pricing will continue to build, but it will still be below (pre-)COVID," he said. "We don't expect pricing to go back to pre-COVID levels until the summer of 2022."
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I actually believe all the bad press this guy creates is actually damaging his own company. When i think of Rynair now,yes it's cheap,yes they will fly anywhere (probably through the black death too!) But the constant government ear bashing and the ..yes we are putting on an extra 200 flights (even though they will be 30-40% capacity at best) gets on my nerves now. Every month since the covid started he's been complaining like no other airline CEO.
Mark can’t agree more. Added to expensive bags and extras unsociable flight times and cancelled flights at the drop of a hat. Once flew on a Ryanair flight when they where giving a £100 compensation not to fly as a Couple of seat rows had collapsed, pleased when I got off that one.
Even if they paid me handsomely, I will never fly with Ryanair again, mainly because of their CEO.