- Ryanair carried 20.1m passengers in September 2026, up 3.6pc
- The load factor remained at 94pc for the month
- More than 1,000 flights were cancelled due to air traffic control
- FY27 traffic target has been cut from 216m to 214m
- The winter schedule cut is expected to reduce losses by €70m to €100m
Ryanair monthly passenger numbers for September reached a record 20.1m, 3.6pc ahead of September 2025 and 42.6pc ahead of pre-pandemic. Load factor was 94pc.
The airline operated over 111,700 flights during the month, with 1,000 flights cancelled due to air traffic control issues. On a rolling twelve month basis traffic reached 215.5m passengers, up 5.5pc, with the load factor unchanged at 94pc.
Ryanair says it remains on track to grow summer traffic from April to October by over 5pc from 138m to 145m in summer 2026, with quarter two fares trending modestly down year-on-year as guided in July. The group has hedged 80pc of financial year 2027 jet fuel at approximately $67 per barrel. With jet fuel currently trading at around $140 per barrel, the group has strategically reduced its exposure during the unprofitable winter schedule from November to March.
