Low-cost airlines are having a whale of a time thanks to the sharp rebound in travel demand.
The decision to expand fleet capacity during the cost-of-living crisis was a calculated risk and the move is now paying off.
AJ Bell’s Russ Mould said: “Ryanair grew its traffic by 9% year-on-year in June, while keeping its planes 95% full on average. Wizz Air saw even bigger growth in demand, carrying 22.5% more passengers in the month at a load factor of 92.2% (June 2022: 86.1%).
“Strike action remains the key hurdle to clear, particularly over the all-important summer period. Air traffic controllers downing tools caused 160,000 Ryanair customers to suffer from cancelled flights in June and further ATC strikes are planned in July. There are additional airport and airline-related strikes threatened for the coming months which could see big delays or cancellations, causing further mayhem.
“The frequent recurrence of these issues means a lot of travellers have become used to the problems that come with flying, but they still go ahead and book flights. Airlines will be thankful for that, although they would prefer a much smoother experience for the customer.”
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