The Board of Ryanair Holdings plc today (Tues 28th March) announced that Ms Elisabeth Köstinger, an Austrian citizen, and Mr Eamonn Brennan, an Irish citizen, have agreed to join the Board of Ryanair Holdings plc as non-executive directors effective from 1 April 2023.

Elisabeth Köstinger is a former Austrian politician who was an MEP from 2009 to 2017, and subsequently served as Minister for Agriculture, Sustainability and Tourism in the Government of Chancellors Kurz, Schallenberg and Nehammer. She retired from politics in 2022 to become CEO of an Austrian ESG-Fintech. 

Eamonn Brennan was formerly Chief Executive of the Irish Aviation Authority, and more recently the Director General of Eurocontrol from 2018 to 2022. Mr Brennan has been a central figure in European aviation over the past 5 years.

Ryanair’s Chairman Stan McCarthy said:

“We are pleased that Elisabeth and Eamonn have accepted our invitation to join the Board of Ryanair Holdings plc from 1 April 2023. Elisabeth brings significant political, environmental and business experience, and is our first Continental European Board Member since 2013. Eamonn brings enormous aviation expertise to the Board as former CEO of the Irish Aviation Authority and DG of Eurocontrol. We look forward to both Elisabeth and Eamonn making a significant contribution to our Board, as we develop our strategy for growth of low fare services across Europe for the next decade.” 

ENDS

Ryanair, Europe’s largest passenger airline, today (Mon 27^th Mar) condemned the continuing cancellation of flights over France due to repeated French ATC strikes. As always, French Minimum Service Legislation is used to protect French domestic flights, but EU overflights from Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK and Ireland are cancelled solely because a tiny French ATC union repeatedly closes the skies over Europe.

Over this past weekend, over 25% of Ryanair’s 9,000 scheduled flights were delayed due to French ATC disruptions, and 230 flights (41,000 passengers) were cancelled to comply with French ATC capacity restrictions. These repeated disruptions of EU overflights is unacceptable.

Last year, Eurocontrol recommended the Commission take modest action to respond to ATC strikes (without affecting the right to strike) as follows; 

• Impose ATC minimum service requirements with a clear reduction of domestic flights
• All overflights allowed with no ATC delays
• Minimum advance strike notice to allow airlines to reschedule flights or advise passengers

Sadly, to date, the EU Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen have failed to take any action on these measures to protect EU citizens and overflights.

A spokesperson for Ryanair said:

“Ursula von der Leyen and the EU Commission repeatedly claim that the Single Market is a priority for Europe. In negotiations around Brexit, the Single Market was the EU Commissions priority. However, every time French ATC goes on strike, the Single Market for air travel over Europe is disrupted, yet the EU Commission sits on its hands taking no action.

When the French Government uses Minimum Service Legislation to protect French flights, why does Ursula von der Leyen and the EU Commission stand idly by and allow EU overflights to be disproportionately cancelled on a daily basis? We call on the Commission to take legal action against France and its ATC unions, to protect EU overflights. Innocent EU passengers travelling from Germany to Spain, or from Ireland to Italy, are entitled to rely on the EU’s Single Market for air travel, and their overflights should not be repeatedly cancelled because the EU Commissions fails to take action to defend the Single Market.

Europe’s Single European Sky (SESAR) project has been a 20 year catalogue of failure. No progress has been made in 2 decades. Eurocontrol has already recommended that the Commission take legal action to protect overflights, and it is about time that Ursula von der Leyen and her Commission stopped hiding and started acting to defend the Single Market for air travel across Europe. We have no difficulty with French unions exercising their right to strike, but we expect the European Commission to defend and protect the Single Market, and not have it repeatedly shut down or EU overflights cancelled just because French ATC unions engage in these recreational strikes.”

ENDS

 

Ryanair Holdings plc today (Thurs, 2 Mar) released Feb 2023 traffic stats as follows:

Ryanair Holdings plc today (Thurs, 2 Feb) released Jan 2023 traffic stats as follows:

Following a $175m agreement with Aviation Partners Boeing (APB), Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (23 Jan) installed Split Scimitar Winglets to the first of over 400 of its Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft. This modification will improve aircraft fuel efficiency by up to 1.5%, reducing Ryanair’s annual fuel consumption by 65 million litres and carbon emissions by 165,000 tonnes.

As Ryanair grows to carry 225m passengers by FY26, this initiative will further the airline’s target of net-zero by 2050.

Ryanair’s Director of Sustainability, Thomas Fowler said:

“As Europe’s most environmentally efficient major airline, we are leading the way in sustainable aviation as demonstrated by this investment in our fleet. This winglet technology will help us reach our ambitious environmental targets on our pathway to net zero emissions by 2050. We are impressed with APB’s innovative winglet designs and look forward to having them installed on not just this first aircraft but on over 400 of our aircraft to further reduce our emissions.”

APB’s Chief Commercial Officer, Patrick LaMoria said:

“Having the operator of the world’s largest fleet of 737-800 Next Generation aircraft install Split Scimitar Winglets is the ultimate endorsement of APB and its products. We are both humbled and honoured to continue to support Ryanair in their ambitious sustainability initiatives.”

Ryanair Holdings plc today (4 Jan.) said it expects to report a stronger than expected Q3 (end 31 Dec.) PAT of close to €200m.  Strong pent-up travel demand over the holiday season for the first time in 3 years, with no adverse impact from Covid or the war in Ukraine, stimulated stronger than expected peak Christmas/New Year traffic and fares.

FY23 traffic guidance of 168m remains unchanged.  Ryanair expects Q4 to be loss making due to the absence of Easter from March, and a recent softening in UK outbound and Irish – Prov. UK traffic and pricing. 

As a result of these recent developments, Ryanair has raised its FY23 PAT guidance (pre-exceptionals) from a current range of €1.00bn – €1.20bn to a new range of €1.325bn – €1.425bn.  This guidance remains heavily dependent upon avoiding adverse events in Q4 (such as Covid or the war in Ukraine).

As this is a closed period, the Ryanair Group’s next market update will take place on Mon. 30 Jan. when the Group releases its Q3 results.

Ryanair Holdings plc today (Wed, 4 Jan) released Dec 2022 traffic stats as follows: