Passenger traffic increased by 8% to 13.6 million passengers in December on low-cost airline Ryanair. The airline operated around 78,000 flights in December including Christmas trips.
The airline carried 13.6 million passengers, up from 12.5 million in December 2023. Load factor, a measure of how full aircraft are, rose 1 per cent year-on-year to 92 per cent. The airline 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 per cent compared to the previous 12 months, reaching 197.2 million. Load factor was static at 94 per cent.
Despite rising passenger numbers, airlines have seen average fares decline of late, amid pressure on consumer spending. Ryanair said in November that its average air fare declined by a 10th in 2024, which hit its profits.
While politicians urged airlines not to increase prices on the back of increased demand for plane tickets, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said it was “too late” in the weeks running up to Christmas. He said hikes in the cost of travelling to Dublin from London were due to the travel cap imposed at Dublin Airport, and not the closure of the Holyhead ferry service.
