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Ryanair's passenger numbers rise by 12% in March

Ryanair's load factor rose to 93% in March from 87% the same month last year
Ryanair's load factor rose to 93% in March from 87% the same month last year

Ryanair said it carried a total of 12.6 million passengers in March of this year, an increase of 12% on the 11.2 million passengers it carried the same month last year.

The airline noted that air traffic was affected by the Ukraine invasion in March last year.

Its load factor - how many seats it fills on each flight - rose to 93% in March from 87% in March 2022.

Ryanair said it operated over 71,350 flights during the month.

Meanwhile, Europe is bracing for another round of strikes affecting airlines ahead of a busy Easter travel season, as the number of passengers travelling globally recovers to pre-pandemic levels.

Since last summer, strikes and staff shortages have forced European airlines to cancel thousands of flights to avoid long queues at major airports, and some disruptions persist.

BRITAIN

British Airways reduced its flight schedule due to planned strikes by London Heathrow airport employees during the Easter holiday weekend

FRANCE

Ryanair expected cancellations or delays on flights to and from France between March 30 and April 8 due to ongoing French air traffic control strikes.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary called for measures to prevent chronic French air traffic control strikes penalising thousands of passengers.

GERMANY

Strikes at Duesseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart and Baden-Baden led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights on March 17

Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg airports cancelled all commercial flights due to strike action on March 13.

PORTUGAL

EasyJet cabin staff in Portugal completed a three-day strike that started on April 1 to demand higher wages to compensate for the soaring cost of living.

SPAIN

Pilots for Spanish airline Iberia Regional Air Nostrum voted to go on indefinite strike amid a wage dispute with the company.

Air Nostrum said pilots called for a strike every Monday and Friday from February 27.

Swissport handling workers called for a 24-hour strike from February 27 until April 13 every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 17 Spanish airports, UGT union said.

HIRING AND INCENTIVES

Iberia, IAG's Spanish airline, planned to hire a total of 2,145 staff in the first half of the year to be able to handle the Easter travel rush and the summer season.

In Italy, ITA Airways averted strikes after a undisclosed wage increase accord with unions at the end of February.