DUBLIN: Ryanair shares rose to all time high after its passenger numbers surged for a second successive month and the airline’s expanding fleet had fewer empty seats than a year ago.
Ryanair said 20% rise in passenger numbers for December as it carried 6.02 million passengers last month compared to 5.02 million in December 2013.
Ryanair’s load factor or how many seats it fills on each flight also increased to 88% from 81% last month.
The airline attributed the rising numbers to its lower fares, stronger forward booking strategy and the success of its improved customer service. It said this is delivering better than expected load factors in its expanded winter schedule.
Ryanair lifted its profit forecast for the full financial year to between €750m and €770m from its original guidance of €650m in November. The December traffic growth followed a 22% jump in passenger numbers in November.
Shares in Ryanair were higher this afternoon in Dublin trade and have gained over 50% in the past 12 months.
