Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary. Photo: PA
Ryanair expects to exceed its passenger growth target for the full year as the airline receives aircraft deliveries from Boeing and demand for travel remains strong.
The Irish budget carrier predicted more than 3pc growth in fiscal 2026 to 207 million passengers, up from a previous forecast of 206 million. Profit after tax rose to €1.72bn in the second quarter from €1.43bn the previous year, the company reported on Monday.
The improved passenger goal is a sign of progress at Boeing, which has struggled to deliver planes on time, limiting growth prospects for Ryanair, its biggest customer in Europe. Ryanair was among the most vocal critics of Boeing as delivery delays forced the carrier to cut its passenger traffic goal several times in the past year.
“It’s humming along nicely, things are going well, quality is very good,” Chief Financial Officer Neil Sorahan said of the Boeing deliveries in an interview.
More recently, Ryanair’s executives have reported progress at the planemaker, saying last month that the carrier received at a more steady tempo.
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – Monday November 3
The remaining six Max 8 aircraft from its order book will be delivered “well ahead” of next summer, allowing for traffic growth to reach 215 million next year, Ryanair said. Certification of the new Max 10 is scheduled for mid-2026 and Boeing expects to meet Ryanair’s contract delivery dates for the first 15 models in spring 2027.
While Ryanair said it’s too early to provide “meaningful” profit guidance for the fiscal full year, the company expects to recover last year’s 7pc fare decline in its entirety and achieve “reasonable” profit growth for the year.
At the same time, the company said that while third-quarter forward bookings are “slightly ahead,” fare growth will be more challenging because of difficult comparisons to the prior-year period.
Ryanair also announced an interim dividend of €0.193 per share, payable in late February.
Shares of Ryanair have jumped about 37pc so far this year in comparison with low-cost rivals EasyJet Plc and Wizz Air Holdings Plc which have declined 14pc and 27pc, respectively. (Bloomberg)
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