Ryanair Becomes First European Airline to Carry 200 Million Passengers in 12 Months
Ryanair has achieved a historic milestone in European commercial aviation by becoming the first airline to carry over 200 million passengers in a 12-month period. The milestone was reached on March 26, 2025, when the airline welcomed its 200 millionth passenger at Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD). The passenger, 84-year-old Maria Cornelia Vos, flew from Fuerteventura to Madrid aboard Ryanair flight FR5469, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8200.
The achievement marks a significant record for Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline in both fleet size and passengers carried. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary expressed pride in reaching the 200 million mark for the 2024-2025 period, noting that these passengers collectively saved an estimated €5 billion ($5.5 billion) compared to the average airfares of competing airlines.
In addition to breaking a record for European aviation, Ryanair’s 200 million passengers in a single year puts the airline in an elite group of global carriers that have achieved this feat. American airlines Delta Air Lines and American Airlines also surpassed the milestone, with American carrying 248.7 million passengers during the same period.
Looking ahead, Ryanair forecasts carrying an estimated 206 million passengers in the next 12 months. However, this forecast was recently revised downward from an initial projection of 210 million passengers for 2025-2026, due to delays in aircraft deliveries caused by supply chain issues at Boeing’s assembly line. Ryanair has had to scale back its expansion plans and cut some routes as a result of the shortage of aircraft.
“We are working with Boeing to accelerate deliveries,” O’Leary stated in January 2025. “Although Boeing 737 production is recovering from the Boeing strike at the end of 2024, we do not expect sufficient units to arrive by the summer of 2025. We are confident of receiving the remaining 29 aircraft by March 2026, which will allow us to make up the backlog in increased traffic in the summer of 2026.”
Currently, Ryanair’s fleet consists of 612 aircraft, predominantly from the Boeing 737 family, with a smaller sub-fleet of 26 Airbus A320-200s operated exclusively by Lauda Europe. The fleet’s average age is ten years.
For 2025, Ryanair has indicated that ticket prices are expected to rise by 4% to 6%, after an 8% decline the previous year. Despite this increase, O’Leary noted that prices will remain approximately 2% lower than they were two years ago.
Ryanair also experienced a temporary surge in bookings during the closure of London Heathrow Airport on March 21, 2025. When a power outage shut the airport down for nearly 24 hours, many passengers turned to Ryanair as an alternative, leading to around 10,000 additional bookings and a notable increase in profits.
Despite the challenges, Ryanair remains optimistic about its growth prospects, and with its expanded fleet and continued focus on cost-efficiency, the airline is well-positioned to maintain its leading position in the European aviation market.
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