Ryanair raises passenger and profit forecasts
Low-cost airline Ryanair has improved its forecast for annual passenger traffic growth and announced that it expects an increase in annual profit after ticket prices rose more than previously estimated, DPA reported.
On Monday, the Irish company said that the number of passengers in the fourth quarter of 2025 reached 47.5 million, an annual increase of 6%. For 2026, Ryanair expects annual growth of 4%, to nearly 208 million passengers, driven by strong demand and faster deliveries of Boeing aircraft, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.
Previously, Ryanair had forecast 207 million passengers in 2026.
Recently published preliminary data show that Ryanair transported 206.5 million passengers last year, up 4.7% from 197.2 million a year earlier, while the load factor remained at 94%.
Ticket prices rose by 4% in the last three months of 2025, and the company now expects an increase of up to around 9%, after previously forecasting a 7% rise.
Ryanair expects annual profit after tax of between €2.13 billion and €2.23 billion, after reporting a post-tax profit of €1.61 billion in 2025.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, profit before tax fell by 83% to €24.4 million, as the company set aside provisions following a €256 million fine imposed in December by Italy’s competition authority. Ryanair has appealed the Italian authority’s decision.
“Although the fourth quarter of 2025 did not benefit from the Easter holidays, ticket prices are higher than last year and we believe that, overall, annual growth will exceed the previously announced 7% level by 1% or 2%,” said Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary.
He warned that profits “remain exposed to adverse external developments, including the escalation of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, macroeconomic shocks, and the impact of repeated strikes by air traffic controllers in Europe.”
“Capacity constraints in the aviation sector, combined with our competitive cost advantage, strong balance sheet, aircraft order book and resilience, will, I believe, facilitate growth in Ryanair passenger numbers to 300 million per year by 2033–2034,” O’Leary added.
