Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary says demand for travel this summer remains strong, with bookings and fares rising steadily, even as Europe experiences severe heatwaves. Speaking on Tuesday, O’Leary reaffirmed the airline’s optimistic outlook, indicating that the Irish budget carrier is on track to recoup most of the 7% decline in average fares recorded last year.
“Bookings into summer 2025 are strong, prices are rising,” O’Leary said, noting continued demand for holiday destinations including Italy, Greece, Spain, the Balearic and Canary Islands, and Morocco. He added that extreme weather, while a concern, had not significantly disrupted travel patterns. “Heatwaves are a temporary phenomenon and don’t appear to be deterring holidaymakers.”
O’Leary also acknowledged expectations around the company’s financial performance, suggesting market consensus for a doubling of Ryanair’s after-tax profit for the first quarter ending in June is reasonable. “We see no reason to alter or object to that consensus, but we can’t comment on that,” he said. Ryanair is scheduled to publish its quarterly earnings on July 21.
While addressing broader geopolitical and trade concerns, O’Leary said he remained hopeful that commercial aircraft would be excluded from potential US and EU tariffs, though he admitted “nobody is really sure” about the final outcome.
Speaking from Warsaw, O’Leary also announced a major expansion in Poland, with plans to triple Ryanair’s annual passenger numbers at Warsaw-Modlin Airport to over five million by 2030. The airline will invest $400 million in the facility, doubling the number of aircraft based at the airport from four to eight.
The announcement marks a major turnaround for Modlin, where air traffic had declined in recent years due to a pricing dispute with Ryanair. “Modlin will now be the fastest-growing airport in Poland,” O’Leary said, signaling a resolution to the impasse.
Under the new agreement, Modlin Airport will construct at least four new passenger check-in desks and four additional aircraft parking stands by September 2027 to accommodate the expansion.
Ryanair, which sources nearly all its aircraft from Boeing, continues to expand its footprint across Europe, leveraging strong consumer demand despite economic uncertainty and ongoing discussions over global trade policies.
