Gloomy Ryanair positive *

Ryanair is doing well, but is gloomy regarding the immediate future with its move from Luton to Stansted, years ago, really paying off. 

By dominating the Essex airport with around 75% of passengers, its largest hub and owned by Manchester Airports Group (MAG), it can really call the shots when it comes to aircraft movements, although restrained by air traffic considerations over southern England.

Speaking to The Times, Eddie Wilson, Chief Executive of Ryanair, blamed “worst ever” traffic control delays across Europe for the latest disruption despite the number of flights still being 15% lower now than before lockdown. “It is the single biggest delay for all airlines by a country mile. The underlying problem across Europe – even if you have the aircraft, you’re not cancelling [flights] and you’ve got the crew – is air traffic control.”

And speaking to the Financial Times Michael O’Leary said that he expected a combination of high oil prices and environmental charges to push the average Ryanair fare up from €40 (£34) to between €50 to €60 over the medium-term.  “It’s got too cheap for what it is. I find it absurd every time that I fly to Stansted, the train journey into central London is more expensive than the air fare”.

The airline chief also criticised the UK Government and what he branded “the disaster” of Brexit, which had stopped airlines easily recruiting European workers.

Often seen as the ‘bad boy’ of airline operations Ryanair is weathering the storm much better than most reporting profits after tax of £145m for the three months to 30 June against net losses of £233m a year ago as passenger numbers rebounded to 45.5m – 9% ahead of pre-Covid levels.  According to OAG, Stansted is Britain’s best performing airport in terms of cancellations just 0.3% with Ryanair accounting for over 70% of available seats.

www.ryanair.com

www.stanstedairport.com

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OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum

William Bland, Cambridge

easyJet made a huge mistake in dropping the Stansted base and giving Ryanair a free reign at the airport. Luton is half the size and Gatwick, the easyJet largest base has to much competition.