Ryanair jets to new highs

Irish no-frills airline Ryanair hit a new high last month by carrying a record 1.2 million passengers, figures out today showed.

Low fares and new routes helped the budget operator attract 44% more passengers than the same month a year ago.

Nine in 10 tickets were sold over the Internet, and on average Ryanair’s planes were 83% full.

The airline first broke through the one million barrier in August last year before reaching the milestone again three months ago.

Today’s figures are nearly 90,000 up on April, the previous high recorded by the Dublin-based group.

The growth highlights the continued pressure no-frills operators are putting on traditional full-service airlines such as British Airways.

Ryanair, easyJet, Go and Buzz carried 25% of scheduled passengers between the UK and the rest of the European Union last year - a gain of 5%.

Ryanair has shrugged off the impact of September 11 and the foot-and-mouth crisis by continuing to slash airfares.

Two million seats went on sale yesterday offering flights at just €10 from Ireland to destinations in the UK and Europe.

The airline has also enjoyed a rapid expansion, adding 10 new routes from the UK this summer including eight from Stansted.

After first taking to the air 16 years ago, Ryanair now has a network of 76 routes across 13 countries.

A spokeswoman for the company said: ‘‘The figures speak for themselves and they highlight the demand in Europe for real low-fares.’’

Ryanair lost top-spot in the European low-cost market to easyJet last month when it acquired BA’s former budget alternative, Go.