Ryanair profit surges on higher passengers, fares
LONDON
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Irish no-frills airline Ryanair on Jan. 27 announced a surge in net profit for its third quarter on increased passenger numbers and fares.
Profit after tax stood at 149 million euros ($156 million) in the three months to the end of December compared with 15 million euros one year earlier, the Dublin-based carrier said in a statement.
"Traffic grew nine percent to 45 million passengers at marginally higher fares," it added.
Group revenue jumped 10 percent to almost three billion euros.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said full-year net profit could reach as much as 1.61 billion euros.
"The final... outcome remains subject to avoiding adverse external developments between now and the end of March," he noted in the earnings release.
This included "the risk of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, further Boeing delivery delays and air traffic control mismanagement/short-staffing here in Europe".
O'Leary added that he expected full-year traffic to reach almost 200 million passengers, or annual gain of nine percent, but slightly down on an earlier forecast.