Ryanair carry 39 Pct more passengers 2011 to July

 

Ryanair carried a total of 19 Million passengers to Spain in 2011 until the end of July - a staggering 39% increase, or 5.5 Million more than the same period in 2010, acording to the Airlines's CEO, Michael O'Leary.

This represnts 65% of the growth than AENA operated airports reported in the same period.

Services to Spain will be reduced for the quiter winter period, and as many as 80 aircraft will be left on the ground - double last year's figure - in a bid to save fuel. Over the last 12 months fuel costs have escalalted by 15% and now stand at 40% of the total overhead, compared to 25% just five years ago.

Ryanair has also commited to a 75% of reduction in operations at Alicante's El Altet airport, due largely to problems concerning AENA's instruction for the mandatory use of airbridges.

However, this news follows reports that Ryanair executives met with the new Corvera International Airport, located just 80km away from El Altet and operated by the Murcia regional Government, as opposed to AENA. The outcome of the meeting has not yet been made known, but speculation is that Ryanair will pull operations from Alicante airport in favour of the new airport at Corvera.

Read more about Corvera Airport. by clicking here.

By the time the summer season returns, O'Leary hopes to have a further 40 new aircraft in place, which will cocentrate on growth at Barajas and Barcelona, and may even consider re-opening negotiations at Girona, where cuts to Ryanair flights have resulted in a 42% fall in passenger numbers at the airport.