Ryanair reports dip in December traffic

Budget airline Ryanair has reported a drop in month-on-month passenger numbers for December.

Traffic fell to 9.5m from 10.2m in November, while the load factor - which gauges how full the planes are - declined to 81% from 86%.

On the year, however, passenger numbers were up from 1.9m in December 2021, when the load factor was 73%.

The traffic figures were in line with the airline’s guidance. Last month, Ryanair cut its December traffic estimate from between 10m and 11m to between 9m and 9.5m. It cited Covid-related travel restrictions, in particular a ban on UK arrivals into France and Germany and the suspension of all EU flights to and from Morocco.

Ryanair also more than doubled its full-year loss forecast.