In the past fiscal year, which ended in March, Ryanair carried a record 200.2 million passengers. This makes the Irish budget airline the first European carrier to surpass this milestone within a single year. The passenger numbers largely aligned with the airline’s earlier forecasts.
In January, Ryanair had indicated that it expected the number of passengers to rise to nearly 200 million, a nine percent increase compared to the previous year. In March, the airline carried 15 million passengers, representing a ten percent increase compared to the same month a year earlier.
However, Ryanair, which is the largest airline in Europe based on passenger numbers, lowered its forecast for the current fiscal year in January. The airline now expects to carry 206 million passengers, instead of the previously predicted 210 million. The downward adjustment is a result of delivery delays from aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
The 84-year-old Maria Cornelia Vos was welcomed as the 200 millionth passenger. She flew on Wednesday, March 26, from Fuerteventura to Madrid and landed there at 12:35 PM. CEO Michael O’Leary responded enthusiastically to this achievement: “We are delighted to welcome Ms. Maria Cornelia Vos as our 200 millionth passenger this year. Ryanair is proud to have carried 200 million passengers in 2024/2025. Furthermore, these 200 million passengers have collectively saved an estimated five billion euros compared to the average ticket prices of our competitors.”