(Alliance News) - Ryanair Holdings PLC and Wizz Air Holdings PLC on Monday reported improvement in passenger numbers in September, ahead of UK travel rules being relaxed, offering a rosier outlook for the carriers.
Ryanair saw traffic more than double to 10.6 million in September from 5.2 million a year ago, while load factor improved to 81% from 71%. September's figure slipped from August's 11.1 million passengers, however, but was up on July's 9.3 million.
Wizz Air, meanwhile, flew 3.0 million passengers in September, up 91% on a year ago, with an improved load factor of 78.4% versus 64.6%.
"Wizz Air announced new routes from Debrecen [in Hungary] to Brussels-Charleroi [Belgium], Belgium and Kyiv-Zhulyany, Ukraine. New routes will be operated twice a week from the middle of December 2021. In addition, Wizz Air announced the restart of three routes from Debrecen to Tel-Aviv, Moscow, and Santorini. Together with new services, Wizz Air now offers 10 routes from Hungary's second largest city," Wizz added.
The updates from the two budget airlines come the same day as the UK's traffic light travel system involving green, amber and red lists were scrapped to make travel "easier and cheaper".
Locations are now categorised as either on the red list or not - and there are UK press reports that the number of countries on the red list will be slashed to nine from 54 later in the week, with destinations such as Brazil, Mexico and South Africa expected to be opened up to quarantine-free travel.
Fully vaccinated residents – and unvaccinated under 18s – from more than 50 countries and territories can now enter the UK without needing to complete a pre-departure lateral flow test, take a day-eight post-arrival PCR test costing around GBP65, or self-isolate at home, with just a single day-two post-arrival test needed.
People arriving from a red tier destination will still be required to spend 11 nights at a quarantine hotel, costing GBP2,285 for solo travellers.
Shares in Ryanair were 2.4% higher EUR17.64 each in London on Monday morning, while Wizz Air shares were marginally higher at 5,216.00 pence. Elsewhere in the travel sector, British Airways-parent International Consolidated Airlines Group SA was 1.5% higher at 190.92p, while easyJet PLC was 0.3% higher at 705.80p.
By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com
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