RYANAIR AUG TRAFFIC GROWS 9% TO 13.8M CUSTOMERS

RYANAIR AUG TRAFFIC GROWS 9% TO 13.8M CUSTOMERS

INCLUDES 0.5M LAUDA TRAFFIC FOR FIRST TIME

Ryanair, Europe's No.1 airline, today (4 Sep) released August traffic statistics as follows: 

· Total traffic grew 9% to 13.8m with a 97% load factor

· Ryanair traffic grew 5% to 13.3m customers with a 97% load factor

· Lauda traffic was 0.5m customers with a 92% load factor

· ATC staff shortages and one unnecessary pilot strike (10 Aug) caused almost 550 flight cancellations in August compared to just 27 cancellations in August 17

Ryanair's Kenny Jacobs said:

"Ryanair's August traffic (which includes Lauda traffic for the first time) grew by 9% to 13.8m customers, while our load factor was unchanged at 97%, on the back of even lower fares.

Regrettably, over 100,000 Ryanair customers had their flights cancelled in August because of repeated ATC staff shortages in the UK, Germany and France, and one day of unnecessary pilot strikes. Ryanair, together with other European airlines, calls for urgent action by the EU Commission and Governments to correct these ATC staff shortages which are disrupting the travel plans of millions of Europe's consumers this summer."

ENDS

For further information

please contact:

Robin Kiely Piaras Kelly

Ryanair DAC Edelman Ireland

Tel: +353-1-9451949 Tel: +353-1-6789333

press@ryanair.com ryanair@edelman.com