Ryanair flew record 15.9 million passengers in September

DUBLIN Reuters- Ryanair flew 15.9 million passengers in September, its third busiest month ever, and up 13% on pre-COVID levels as the low-cost carrier consolidates its position as Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers.

In September, Ryanair flew more passengers than any of its busiest summer months before the COVID-19 epidemic, as a result of the jump in traffic. In August of this year, its busiest month was August 2019 when it carried 14.9 million passengers.

In August 2022, the Irish airline, unlike many airlines which kept its pilots up-to-date with their flight hours in order to take advantage of the rapid rebound this year, flew a record 16.9 million passengers.

The average number of empty seats per flight increased to 6% last month, up from 4% in August and 3% in September 2019.

Ryanair expects to fly 166.5 million passengers in the year to the end of March, much more than its previous annual record of 149 million before the epidemic brought the travel industry to a standstill.