Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget airline, has emphasized the importance of lower airport access costs in securing future traffic growth as the aviation industry faces significant capacity constraints. In a recent statement, Ryanair noted that competition among airports and countries for air traffic has never been more intense, with airline capacity continuing to be hampered by competitor fleet groundings and delays in aircraft deliveries.
In an press release Ryanair stated “Competition amongst airports and countries for traffic growth has never been higher as airline capacity continues to be constrained due to competitor fleet groundings and aircraft delivery delays. Lower access costs are key to securing Ryanair traffic growth as demonstrated in Sweden, where Ryanair recently announced 2 additional based aircraft for Summer ’25 following the Swedish Government’s decision to abolish aviation taxes from 1 January ’25.”
According to the latest Eurocontrol Report (Week 18-24 November 2024), Ryanair operates an average of 2,441 daily flights, representing a 24% increase compared to pre-pandemic 2019 figures. The airline’s expansive route network spans 37 countries from 95 bases, serving 234 primary and secondary airports.
The Ryanair Group, which currently operates a fleet of over 609 aircraft, is comprised of several subsidiaries, including Buzz (74 aircraft), Lauda Europe (27 Airbus A320 aircraft), Malta Air (174 aircraft), Ryanair DAC (320 aircraft), and Ryanair UK (15 Boeing 737-800 aircraft).
Despite challenges in aircraft delivery schedules due to recent Boeing strikes, Ryanair expects nine Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 aircraft originally slated for delivery in Q3 to now arrive in Q4. The airline has moderated its full-year target for FY26, now aiming to transport 210 million passengers, down from previous forecasts, reflecting the delivery delays.
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