Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 5, 2026
Jan 5 (Reuters) - European budget carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air on Monday reported strong year-on-year passenger growth in December, reflecting robust holiday travel demand among cost-conscious holidaymakers.
Ryanair, Europe's largest budget airline by passenger numbers, carried 14.5 million guests, a 7% increase from December 2024, while Wizz Air flew 5.85 million passengers last month, a 15.5% on-year growth, according to separate monthly traffic data from the airlines.
The growth highlights the continued appeal of budget travel as European holidaymakers during the Christmas season seek affordable flight options despite economic uncertainty.
Ryanair, which operated 82,000 flights in December, reported a load factor of 92% for the month, unchanged year-on-year. Load factor is a measure of how efficiently an airline fills seats.
The Dublin-based airline said in November it expected to fly 207 million passengers in the year to end-March, one million more than its earlier forecast, after improved deliveries of aircraft from Boeing enabled it to add capacity in the first half and the third quarter.
Hungary-based Wizz Air, on the other hand, is actively managing operational challenges, closing bases in Abu Dhabi and Vienna, and deferring 88 Airbus jet deliveries to offset capacity constraints and cost pressures stemming from ongoing servicing issues with its Pratt & Whitney engines.
Wizz reported a slight decrease in its load factor to 85.9% last month as it increased capacity by 16.3% to 6.81 million seats.
(Reporting by Nithyashree R B and Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)
The load factor is a measure of how efficiently an airline fills its seats. It is calculated by dividing the number of passengers by the total number of available seats.
Passenger growth refers to the increase in the number of individuals traveling by air over a specific period, often measured year-on-year to assess demand and performance in the airline industry.
Budget airlines are carriers that offer low-cost flights by reducing various services and amenities. They typically charge for extras like checked baggage and in-flight meals.
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