Fuel price rises hit Ryanair passenger lists

BUDGET carrier Ryanair yesterday blamed high fuel costs for a second consecutive monthly fall in passenger numbers after it decided to ground 80 aircraft to stem losses over the winter period.

It carried 4.8 million passengers in December, down 5 per cent on December 2010, while its load factor – representing the proportion of full seats on a flight – also dropped 1 percentage point to 79 per cent.

The falls follow an 8 per cent slide in passenger numbers in November but the airline said the December figures were in line with forecasts due to its decision to ground twice as many aircraft as last year.

The Ryanair figures compared to a 12.2 per cent increase in December traffic for British Airways-owner International Airlines Group (IAG), predominantly driven by growth in its most profitable first and business class categories.