Ryanair today raised its full year traffic forecast by one million to 87 million passengers on the back of its ‘Always Getting Better’ customer service initiatives.
The airline’s full-year net profit forecast was raised towards the upper end of its previously guided €620 million to €650 million range.
Speaking at the airline’s AGM, chief executive Michael O’Leary said: “Our customers and our shareholders have responded favourably to our improving customer experience, our better digital platform and the positive initial uptake of our Business Plus service.
“We now expect slightly stronger traffic growth in the winter schedule, as we open new bases in primary airports at Cologne, Gdansk, Glasgow and Warsaw Modlin, as well as significantly increasing flight frequencies and schedules from Dublin to UK cities, and from Dublin to European capitals.
“While still too early to be confident about H2 [second half] fares and yields, the continuing strength of our forward bookings and the improving customer experience leads us to cautiously raise our full year traffic forecast to 87 million customers, and our full-year profit guidance towards the upper end of our current €620 million-€650 million range.
“However, the full-year profit outturn continues to be heavily dependent on H2 yields over which we have very little visibility at present.”
An update on the carrier’s third quarter yield performance will be given at its half-year results announcement in early November.