Ryanair has added more flights to its UK winter schedule, increasing its full-year forecast for passenger numbers following cuts by rival arline British Airways.
Ryanair now expects to fly 166.5 million passengers in the year to the end of March, having added over 1 million seats on journeys to and from UK airports. The airline’s previous passenger target was 165 million.
British Airways had announced on Monday that it was cancelling some flights up to the end of October, following Heathrow airport’s decision to cap capacity at the international hub in the face of widespread disruption.
Airlines and airports across Europe have struggled to cope with renewed passenger demand following the end of most Covid-related travel restrictions, with many failing to recruit sufficient check-in and baggage staff.
However Ryanair, which does not fly from Heathrow, saw record-breaking passenger numbers in both June and July. The budget airline has been taking advantage of cancellations by rivals, particularly in the UK, by adding extra flights.
Ryanair flew 97 million passengers in its last financial year and a record 149 million before the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Unlike other airlines the firm has been largely successful in its recruitment strategies and is not suffering as a result of staff shortages.