Ryanair saw 8% rise in customer traffic in December
Airline's O'leary Michael Agm At Ryanair Dublin Speaks Headquarters The Boss During The
Ryanair's customer traffic increased by 8% in December when compared to the same time last year.
The airline carried 13.6m passengers, up from 12.5m in December 2023. Meanwhile, the airline's load factor, a measure of how full aircraft are, rose by 1% year-on-year to 92%.
The airline, which is the biggest in Europe, operated more than 77,380 flights during the month, which was up from 73,750 in November.
On a rolling 12-month basis to the end of December, traffic rose 8% compared to the previous 12 months, reaching 197.2m. Meanwhile, Ryanair's load factor was static at 94%.
This Christmas period saw additional pressure on airlines operating between Ireland and Britain following the closure of Holyhead ferry port as a result of damage caused by Storm Darragh.
Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary has also blamed the Dublin Airport passenger cap for increasing prices for customers over the Christmas period, with some one-way flights between Dublin and London soaring to €500.
Under Dublin Airport’s current planning permission, the number of passengers it can manage in a year is capped at 32 million. In December, airport operator DAA submitted an application to Fingal County Council to increase the passenger cap to 40 million a year, with the DAA saying the demand was already there for over 34 million passengers a year.
DAA has also sought to have Dublin Airport classed as critical infrastructure, which would mean its planning is handled purely by An Bord Pleanála.
Last month, a challenge by airlines against the passenger cap was referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union.