Ryanair has kicked off the financial year with a strong start. The airline’s net profit more than doubled in the April-June quarter. The main reasons? Perfect Easter timing and higher last-minute fares.
The Irish budget airline, Ryanair, is Europe’s largest by passenger numbers. It reported a net profit of €820 million. That’s a big jump from €360 million in the same period last year. Back then, Easter holidays fell in March, which didn’t help the numbers much.
This time, Easter landed in April, giving Ryanair a full month of holiday traffic. That timing worked like magic. Ryanair also benefited from a rise in close-in bookings—those last-minute tickets that usually come at a higher price.
CEO Michael O’Leary said, “Q1 fares got a big push from the full Easter break in April, weak numbers from last year, and slightly stronger last-minute pricing.” That mix helped drive average fares up by 21% from the same quarter in 2024.
Analysts had expected Ryanair to post a profit of €716 million. But the airline beat that number by over €100 million. A strong performance like this shows Ryanair knows how to use timing and strategy to win.
Even though fares had dropped 7% across the full year in 2024, O’Leary is confident about a bounce-back. “We expect to recover almost all of last year’s fare fall. That should lead to reasonable profit growth in FY26,” he said. The company’s financial year ends in March.
Ryanair’s shares closed at €23.12 on Friday. That’s slightly down from the all-time high of €24.98 reached on July 8. But with profits looking good, investor confidence may climb back soon.
This strong quarter puts Ryanair in a solid position. While other airlines struggle with fuel costs and delays, Ryanair is using timing and smart pricing to stay ahead. It’s a sharp lesson in how planning can turn into profit.
The next few months will be key. If Ryanair can keep up this pace, it might hit even higher numbers by year-end. For now, Europe’s low-cost king is flying high.
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