Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget airline, has ambitious plans to significantly increase the number of passengers, despite the expected increase in airline ticket prices. According to CEO Michael O’Leary, Ryanair wants to increase its passenger numbers to 300 million per year by 2034, compared to the current 184 million. The fleet will grow from 600 to around 800 Boeing aircraft in that period, reports the German dpa. Due to capacity problems in the aviation sector, exacerbated by the overhaul of certain engines of the Airbus 320, O’Leary expects airfares to rise on average about ten percent this summer. The company wants to continue its growth plans with gusto. Currently, Ryanair serves more than 250 airports in 37 countries. Among the projects with great potential, O’Leary also mentioned the expansion of the offer in Morocco, where Ryanair also wants to offer more domestic flights. Ryanair has managed to keep the cost per passenger, with a turnover of 65 euros per passenger, stable at 31 euros for several years. This is significantly lower than the costs that competitors have for passengers. Andreas Gruber, CEO of Ryanair Austria, denied that this has to do with lower salaries. According to him, the remuneration of the staff is fair and performance-oriented. For the current financial year until the end of March, CEO O’Leary expects a profit of 1.85 to 1.95 billion euros, according to recent information. O’Leary was succeeded as CEO of Ryanair by Eddie Wilson in 2019. Since then, he has been CEO of the entire Ryanair Group, which includes Air Malta, Ryanair, Buzz and Lauda. Ryanair is also a major shareholder in Aer Lingus. (Photo Shutterstock).
