Covid-19 travel bans have been lifted Ryanair Passenger numbers up 81 percent to 27.5 million in the twelve months ended March 31, the last financial year.
The Ryanair share fell on Tuesday just after 9 a.m. in Dublin by 1.72 percent to 16.59 euros.
The Irish airline announced Tuesday that it carried 500,000 passengers in March, 91 percent fewer than the 5.5 million people who flew it in the same month last year.
The rolling annual total through March 31 was 27.5 million, 81 percent less than the 148.6 million passengers it had carried in the past 12 months.
The airline operated 5 percent of its normal flight schedule in March. Last month’s occupancy rate, ie the proportion of seats sold on its aircraft, was 77 percent
March 31st marked the end of Ryanair’s fiscal year 2021. The total of 27.5 million for the 12-month period is in line with the airline’s latest forecast.
In early January, Ryanair warned of newly announced Covid bans in the republic, the UK and parts of Europe The number of passengers for the full year 2021 would be between 26 and 30 million.
Previously, she had hoped to be able to fly “under 35 million” passengers in the twelve months to March 31.
However, Ryanair added that it did not expect the further decline in passenger numbers to materially affect losses for 2021 as many of the flights it operated were loss making.
The group also warned against carrying just 500,000 passengers in February and March.
Impact on the pandemic
Ryanair’s 2021 fiscal year coincided with the full impact of Covid-19 on European air travel.
The lockdowns imposed by countries in March 2020 in response to the first wave of the pandemic kept airlines grounded until July when most curtailed their operations.
Additional restrictions put in place in Europe around Christmas and New Years in response to the arrival of new infectious virus strains dashed hopes that air traffic would recover earlier this year.
However, Ryanair Holdings Managing Director Michael O’Leary said two weeks ago the airline was hoping to operate around 2,300 flights a week this summer, which is about 80 percent of normal capacity.
Mr O’Leary added that the airline had the resources to weather another lost summer of travel but didn’t think it would be necessary.
The airline will receive 16 Boeing 737 Max aircraft from the US manufacturer before this year’s Christmas season.
