Ryanair Reduces Winter Flights To Avoid Soaring Fuel Costs

Ryanair has cut its passenger target for the current financial year as soaring fuel prices put pressure on its winter operations.

Europe’s largest airline now expects to carry around 214 million passengers in FY27, down from its previous target of 216 million.

The decision mainly affects Ryanair’s winter schedule between November and March, with the airline looking to reduce its exposure to expensive jet fuel.

Jet fuel is currently trading at around $140 per barrel, while Ryanair has already locked in around 80% of its fuel needs for the year at a much lower price of approximately $67 per barrel.

In simple terms, Ryanair wants to operate slightly fewer flights during the traditionally less profitable winter months rather than buy more fuel at today’s much higher prices.

Passenger numbers between November and March are now expected to remain roughly the same as last year.

Ryanair estimates that the temporary reduction could cut its winter losses by between €70 million and €100 million.

The airline is still expecting a strong summer, with passenger traffic between April and October forecast to rise by more than 5%, from 138 million to around 145 million passengers.

Ryanair also warned that if fuel prices remain high into summer 2027, European short-haul fares could rise significantly as airlines pass higher operating costs on to passengers.

The update comes as Ryanair revealed it carried 22.2 million passengers in August, up 6% compared to the same month last year, while operating more than 120,500 flights.

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