Ryanair passenger numbers up 10% in September despite cancellations

Despite the disruption caused by cancelled flights, Ryanair flew 11.8 million people in September, 10% more than in the same month in 2016.

 

Ryanair has reported a 10% increase in the number of passengers it carried in September, despite the airline cancelling thousands of flights due to pilot scheduling problems.

 

Additionally, load factor climbed to 97 per cent from 95 per cent in the same month last year, an important gauge for how efficient the airline is at filling its seats.

 

Ryanair announced its first wave of 2,100 cancellations in mid-September.

 

Less than two weeks later, the airline announced it would cancel a further 18,000 flights between November and March affecting up to 400,000 passengers.

 

Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said that travellers vowing never to fly Ryanair again will almost certainly return to the airline because of its cheap prices.

 

“Our booking engine is full of passengers who have sworn they will never fly with us again,” he said.