Ryanair’s CEO Announces the End of the €10 Flight Era

The idyllic period during which we had the opportunity to fly with Ryanair to various destinations for the price of €10 has come to a short end, all due to the sudden rise in fuel prices that have impacted the airline’s operations. Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary recently announced this news during an appearance on BBC Radio 4. 

The average flight price is expected to rise from last year’s approximately €40 to about €50 over the next five years, O’Leary stated, but he believes that people will continue to fly frequently despite the price increase.

– There is no doubt that you will no longer see our truly cheap promotional prices. Tickets for one euro, 99 cents, even prices of €9.99 are figures you will not see in the next few years – he said. 

The rise in fuel costs that has caused an increase in airline ticket prices is also raising household bills, thereby reducing consumers’ disposable income. Nevertheless, O’Leary said that despite this, he expects customers to seek cheaper options rather than stop flying altogether. 

People Will Continue to Fly Frequently

– We believe that people will continue to fly frequently, but I also think they will become much more sensitive to prices, and therefore my view on life is that people will trade their numerous millions – he stated. 

Given that airline tickets have become cheaper than ever in recent years, the number of flights has increased, and more people have started going on short vacations abroad. Companies like Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling, and Wizz Air compete in offering cheap services without additional costs. Even though the cheapest will increase in price, they will still be the cheapest. 

Commercial flights now account for approximately 2.4 percent of global CO2 emissions, and the entire sector is facing pressure to mitigate its negative impact on the climate, including numerous campaigns aimed at persuading people to switch to rail and road transport. 

However, O’Leary asserted that road transport and shipping together contribute significantly more to CO2 emissions than airplanes. He also stated that Ryanair is investing in aircraft with more efficient fuel consumption, but that the key to reducing fossil fuel use lies in the hands of the automotive industry. Drivers should, therefore, he said, switch to electric road vehicles.