The Irish airline has spent 2025 full of disputes with the Government and consumer associations. However, despite all these disagreements, the bold Michael O’Leary has managed to make Ryanair its model low cost remains extremely profitable.
With a combination of an increase in the price of its tickets and an increase in the number of passengers, the company has ended the first fiscal semester painting its income statement green in a turbulent economic environment.
Tail wind between so much turbulence. According to a statement published by the Irish company, between April and September 2025, Ryanair obtained a net profit of 2,540 million euros, which represents an increase of 42% compared to the 1,790 million obtained in the same period of the previous year. The airline’s total revenue grew by 13%, reaching €9.82 billion, thanks to increased prices and greater passenger traffic.
Despite cuts in places offered at provincial airports on account of his raffles with Aena, The Irish company sold 16% more tickets, maintaining its capacity to attract more travelers in those airports in which it still operates. In total, the passenger traffic increased by 3%, reaching 119 million seats, a record figure for the company in this period.
Rates through the roof. The 13% increase in the rates It is attributed, among other factors, to a favorable Easter that coincided with the start of the fiscal year for Ryanair, helping to recover the 7% drop in prices that was recorded in the second quarter of last year. In fact, the revenue per passenger grew 9% in the first semester.
The increase in passengers together with the increase in fares has caused the income account to increase during the first six months of the year, a determining factor in the final balance.
The secret: cost reduction. The increase in taxes and the price of fuel had a moderate impact on operating costs, which rose 4% in total to 6,960 million, which represents barely 1% per passenger, reflecting “strong control” of expenses by the company. O’Leary attributed a good part of this increase in operating costs to the increase in air traffic control fees, which are estimated at 14%.
Much of this adjustment in costs derives from the supply of fuel, which the company has already secured 85% of its consumption estimate at a price of 76 dollars per barrel, while it has already advanced a supply of 80% of its demand for next year at a price of 67 dollars per barrel, thus taking advantage of the current low crude oil price.
On the other hand, ancillary income, which is the most controversial among Ryanair passengers, which includes services such as priority boarding and on-board consumption, increased by 6%, totaling 2,910 million euros. These services account for almost 25% of the total billing.
Only fly to profitable airports. Ryanair has also put its cards on the table for the second half of the fiscal year, and is clear that it is going to focus on “regions and airports that reduce taxes on aviation”, in clear reference to its withdrawal from provincial airports from Spain.
On the other side of the board, countries such as Slovakia, Italy, Sweden, Albania or Morocco will monopolize the seats that are withdrawn from countries such as Germany, Austria or Spain, which have increased their airport taxes in 2025 and send a clear message in a political key: “We are concerned that Ursula von der Leyen (and her new Commission) have done nothing in the last 14 months to improve European competitiveness.”
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Image | Ryanair
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