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(Alliance News) -Â Ryanair PLC and Wizz Air Holdings PLC on Tuesday reported slumps in passenger numbers for March.
Budget airline Ryanair reported 500,000 passengers for March, down 91% on 5.5 million a year ago. The firm said it operated just 5% of its normal March schedule with a 77% load factor.
Wizz Air, meanwhile, reported 480,203 passengers in March, down 73% on a year ago, when it carried 1.8 million. This was at a load factor of 62.5%, down 29.4 percentage points from 92.0%. Wizz said it operated just below 20% of its capacity last month.
Year-on-year comparisons for both airlines should get easier from here following the anniversary of the first virus lockdowns in Europe in late March last year.
On Monday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country must be "realistic" over the resumption of foreign holidays due to "a surge" of coronavirus in popular destinations.
A global travel taskforce review warned "the state of the pandemic abroad, and the progress of vaccination programmes in other countries" meant it was impossible to say yet whether foreign holidays would be allowed from May 17, the date earmarked as the earliest possible for the resumption of international trips.
It confirmed the government is examining a traffic-light system for countries, with travel to green list nations requiring no quarantine on return to the UK – although tests will still be required – although it is too early to say which destinations will be in that category.
Shares in Ryanair were down 1.3% at EUR16.57 in London on Tuesday, while Wizz Air was up 0.6% at 5,004.00 pence.
By Lucy Heming;Â lucyheming@alliancenews.com
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