Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost airline, has reported a 9% increase in passenger traffic for the month of September, reaching a total of 17.4 million passengers. This growth comes after four consecutive months of record-breaking passenger numbers. Over the past 12 months, Ryanair has flown a total of 178.9 million passengers, marking a 17% increase compared to the same period last year.
Between May and August, Ryanair broke its own monthly passenger records four times, culminating in 18.9 million passengers flown in August alone. The airline has set a target to fly 183.5 million people during the 2024 financial year, which ends in March next year.
However, Ryanair has recently faced challenges due to delays in the delivery of new planes from Boeing. Originally expecting to receive 27 new aircraft between September and December, the airline’s delivery schedule has now been reduced to 14 planes between October and December. The delays are a result of production issues at the Spirit Fuselage facility in Wichita, as well as Boeing’s repair and delivery delays in Seattle.
As a consequence of these delays, Ryanair has announced that it will be removing aircraft from several airports across Europe during the winter period. Despite this reduction, the airline remains confident in achieving its full-year traffic target.
Michael O’Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair, has warned that if the delays worsen or extend into next year, the airline may need to revise its traffic target downward. Ryanair is currently working closely with Boeing to expedite deliveries in the January to May 2024 period, with the aim of having all 57 new Boeing aircraft in service for the peak travel season in summer 2024.
