Ryanair is facing challenges in its business performance, leading to disappointment among investors as the airline’s stock has fallen by 17%. The Irish budget airline reported quarterly earnings that were below expectations, with revenue remaining steady at €3.6 billion ($4 billion) from the previous year. However, profits plummeted nearly by half, totaling €336 million. CEO Michael O’Leary noted that while the number of passengers has increased by 10% to 55 million, the airline must work harder to attract customers.
During the company’s earnings call, O’Leary emphasized the need for stimulating fares and bookings, particularly as demand has softened while experiencing disappointing results leading into the peak travel months of July, August, and September.
Further complicating matters, Ryanair is contending with rising labor costs and ongoing delivery delays from Boeing, an issue that has been a longstanding concern for O’Leary. Despite having defended the airline after a recent incident involving a 737 Max 9, he continues to urge Boeing to improve its operations.
O’Leary also indicated that Ryanair’s customers are feeling more financial pressure compared to the earlier stages of the COVID-19 recovery. With inflation and sluggish economic growth impacting consumers in the European Union, he suggested that a reduction in flight capacity might prove beneficial for the airline in the long term.
“We will have less capacity into summer 2025 than we originally scheduled under our Boeing delivery plan, followed by two years with essentially no capacity growth,” O’Leary stated. “If consumers are under pressure over the next 12 to 18 months, that may not necessarily be a disadvantage for us.”