Ryanair expects challenging winter despite reporting first quarterly profit since beginning of pandemic

Ryanair carried 39.1 million passengers in the six months ended September, 54% fewer than in the same period of 2019. File Picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

Ryanair said it expects a challenging winter still overshadowed by the path of the Covid health emergency even as it reported its first quarterly profit since the crisis.

Chief executive Michael O’Leary said the airline nonetheless remains on course to grow rapidly and will create 5,000 new jobs over the next five years.