Passenger numbers soaring at Ryanair

Budget airline Ryanair was flying high today after reporting another record month for passenger numbers.

The low fares carrier said it carried 2,141,664 passengers in August.

The figure represents a 44% increase on the same month last year and comes after Ryanair broke the two million barrier in July, carrying 2,038,896 passengers – a first for any non-US low cost airline.

The airline said it had also increased the number of people booking seats over the internet, with 94% of passengers reserving online in August, compared to 92% at the same time last year.

But today’s figures also showed that load factors, which measure passenger numbers as a proportion of the number of seats available, declined by five percentage points to 90% against August last year.

Last month, Ryanair said first quarter net profits climbed 12% to a record €43.8m.

The Dublin-based carrier flew 5.1 million passengers in the three months to June 30 – up 45% on the same period last year.

New routes, and the takeover of Dutch rival Buzz earlier this year, boosted the figures.

At the time of Ryanair’s last results, chief executive Michael O’Leary warned that the takeover of Buzz would dilute load factors and margins.

The airline suffered a setback last month when it was forced to suspend its service between Stansted and Strasbourg in eastern France.

Following a complaint by French flag carrier Air France, a court in Strasbourg ruled that the deal between Ryanair and the French city’s airport constituted unfair state subsidy.

Ryanair, which is halting its service from September 24, is appealing the decision and is setting up an alternative service to an airport 25 miles away in Karlsruhe, Germany, which begins on the same date.