As a low-cost company, the Ryanair airline reached its maximum popularity thanks to the low price of its flights, with offers and promotions that, on some occasions, even sold tickets for one euro.
However, the current economic situation and the trend towards higher fuel prices will bring about the end of the era of cheap tickets. Or, at least, that’s what Michael O’Leary, the airline’s CEO, told BBC 4 radio.
“There’s no doubt that for the next few years we won’t see our really cheap promotional fares, the one euro, 99 cents and even the €9.99 ones,” he told the Today programme.
According to O’Leary, Ryanair’s average airfare will increase by about 10 euros over the next five years, from 40 euros last year to 50 or 60 euros in 2027.
“I find it absurd”
The truth is that it is not the first time that the CEO has made statements in this regard, since in his latest media interventions he has left messages that go along the same lines.
Without going any further, on July 1, he assured the Financial Times newspaper that “It is too cheap for what it is.” In addition, he accompanied this consideration with a reflection: “It seems absurd to me that every time I fly to Stansted, the train journey to central London is more expensive than the airfare.”
Despite the fact that the rise in the price of energy also affects households and the purchasing power of families, O’Leary is confident that the number of passengers will remain stable, since consumers will continue to flock “in droves ” to the cheapest airlines.
“I think people will continue to fly frequently. But I think they will look at prices much more and, consequently, millions of users will switch (to low-cost airlines),” O’Leary stressed.
Facebook Comments
Disqus