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Ryanair Holdings PLC on Monday upped its guidance for full-year passenger numbers and sees stronger fare growth than previously expected, but its third quarter profit slump as it booked a chunky provision for an Italian fine. The budget carrier said revenue in the third quarter ended December 31 rose 8.6% to €3.21 billion from €2.96 billion a year prior. However, pretax profit slumped 83% to €24.4 million from €143.7 million. Ryanair booked a €85 million provision covering about a third of a fine in Italy. The firm labelled the €256 million fine as ‘baseless’ and is confident it will be overturned. Ryanair allegedly abused its dominant position to prevent travel agencies access to its services, according to the Italian competition watchdog. Also hurting profit, the company reported €9.0 million in net finance and other income, slumping from €90.2 million a year prior. The prior year’s figure related to aircraft delivery delay compensation. Post tax profit, before exceptional charges, was 22% lower on-year at €115.4 million for the third quarter, from €148.6 million. Ryanair said passenger numbers rose 6% to 47.5 million during the quarter, from 44.9 million a year earlier. The load factor was steady at 92% and the average fare edged up to €44 from €43. The Dublin-based firm has ‘strong October school mid-term and close-in Christmas/New Year bookings’. Looking ahead, it now expects full-year traffic growth of 4% to almost 208 million passengers. It had previously guided for 207 million. The boost is due to strong demand and earlier than expected deliveries from plane maker Boeing Co, the carrier said. Fares are trending ahead of the prior year, Ryanair said. Although this year’s fourth quarter does not include Easter, it now expects the full-year fare hike to ‘exceed the 7% growth previously guided by 1% or 2%’. Ryanair set out a full-year profit range, having previously deemed it too soon. It is ‘cautiously’ guiding for post tax, pre-exceptional profit between €2.13 billion and €2.23 billion. Profit after tax in financial 2025 amounted to €1.61 billion. ‘The final FY26 outcome remains exposed to adverse external developments in Q4, including conflict escalation in Ukraine and the Middle East, macro-economic shocks and any further impact of repeated European air traffic control strikes & mismanagement,’ Ryanair said. Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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