Ryanair made £11.40 profit from every passenger it carried in the three months to June "“ up more than £3 a head on the same time a year ago.
However the airline remained cautious, issuing another warning about the disruption that could be caused by Brexit to UK flights in 2019.
The Irish budget airline expects fares to fall by 5% this summer. The average fare rose by 1% to just over €40 (£35.80) between April and June, its first quarter.
Ryanair"™s profits over the last three months soared 55% to €443.7m, up from €286.5m a year earlier. The airline carried 35 million passengers, up 12% from last year. This means it made a profit per passenger of €12.70 (£11.40), up from €9.20 (£8.20).
The Ryanair chief executive, Michael O"™Leary, said the profits were boosted by the timing of Easter, but this was partly offset by the weaker pound and less revenue from checked bags as more customers took advantage of the airline"™s two free carry-on bags policy. However, only the first 90 passengers with wheelie bags are guaranteed space in the cabin.
The airline cut costs by 6% as its fuel bill fell, despite the increase in passenger numbers. Keeping plane purchase, maintenance and staff costs low has allowed Ryanair to undercut rivals while raising profits…
