Ryanair has nudged up its passenger target for the autumn amid signs of a "very strong recovery" in European short-haul flights, group chief executive Michael O'Leary told Reuters in an interview today.
The airline, Europe's largest by passenger numbers, is expected to fly 10.5 million passengers per month in September, October and November, Michael O'Leary said.
That compares with a July forecast of an average of 10 million for each of those months.
"As long as there are no adverse Covid developments, things are set fair for a very strong recovery," Mr O'Leary said ahead of a press briefing in Brussels.
The CEO also said Ryanair was on target to exceed its 10.5 million passenger target for August.
Capacity should return to pre-pandemic levels in October, from close to 90% in September and 80% in August, he added.
But the airline is likely to fly with an average of 15-20% empty seats on planes this winter compared with 7-8% before the pandemic.
"Through the winter, pricing will continue to build, but it will still be below (pre) Covid," he said.
"We don't expect pricing to go back to pre-Covid levels until the summer of 2022," he added.
Meanwhile, Ryanair is "very keen" to make a significant order for Boeing's 737 MAX 10 aircraft, but there has been no agreement on pricing so far in ongoing talks, Michael O'Leary also said today.
"We're certainly very keen to place a MAX 10 order but only when the timing and the pricing is right," Mr O'Leary said.
"Boeing needs an order," he added.
Ryanair is already the largest European customer for the 737 MAX, with 210 firm orders of the 197-seat MAX 8-200 model.
It has said it is interested in ordering the 230-seat MAX 10 for delivery once the current order is completed in 2025.
