Ryanair boosted by new fleet
Ryanair showed further strong growth today after carrying 2.5 million passengers in January – a 24% jump on last year.
The numbers from the no-frills carrier benefited from additional services and new larger aircraft, although seasonal trends and greater capacity meant 26% of its seats were flown empty, compared with a yearly average of 17%.
Ryanair spokesman Peter Sherrard said: “By the end of last year we had replaced all 96 of our aircraft with Boeing 737-800 series, which have 45% more capacity than our previous 200 series.”
The budget airline also revealed 98% of its January sales were made through its website – up 1% from last year. Call centre sales and airport tickets made up 1% each.
Ryanair’s current fleet of 96 aircraft is due to reach 104 by April, when it will be flying 274 routes.
