Ryanair wary despite profit rise

[White Cap]

Source: BBC News

Ryanair wary despite profit rise

Budget airline Ryanair has reported a better-than-expected 12% rise in annual profits to 302m euros (£208m; $389m).

The rise in profits came despite a 74% increase in fuel costs to 462m euros as oil prices continued to climb.

Passenger numbers for the year to 31 March grew by 26% to 35 million, with revenues 28% higher at 1.69bn euros.

But Ryanair said it was cautious about prospects for next year given higher oil prices, the cost of launching new routes and fierce price competition.

The carrier said that while it was confident that passenger numbers would grow by about 20% to 42 million in the current business year, profits were set to rise by a "more modest" 5%-10%, assuming the price of oil stayed at $70 a barrel.

Internet check-in

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said the key to the airline's profit growth was its refusal to levy fuel surcharges on passengers, unlike other carriers.

"This is driving other passengers to Ryanair," Mr O'Leary said.

The carrier said had it sought to protect itself from future rises in oil prices by hedging 90% of its fuel needs from June to October, at an average price of $70 a barrel.

It also said cost-cutting measures such as internet-based check-in and charging for bags were both doing better than expected.

Ryanair said it was now seeing flights with more than 50% of passengers using its internet check-in and priority boarding facility, while charging for check-in bags had led to passengers travelling with less luggage.

The airline is also seeking to improve revenues from non-ticket sources, and said it was "close to finalising new initiatives to offer our customers mobile phone services on board in 2007 and website gambling".

BAA ownership 'immaterial'

Ryanair said it would continue to campaign for the break-up of the BAA airport "monopoly" in the UK.

Its comments came as confirmation was expected of BAA's agreed takeover by Spanish group Ferrovial.

However, Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said a deal made no difference, since it would still mean that one company owned most of London's airports.

"Charges at the London airports are much too high, the facilities as we all know are awful and the sooner this monopoly is broken up. Whether it's owned by a British company or a Spanish company is immaterial to the airline," Mr Leary told the BBC.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/b ... 050894.stm

Published: 2006/06/06 07:25:58 GMT

© BBC MMVI

[wolke7]

Hier etwas dazu aus deutscher Nachrichtenquelle



Dienstag, 6. Juni 2006
Halbe Kraft voraus
Ryanair legt kräftig zu

Europas führende Billigfluggesellschaft Ryanair hat ihren Gewinn im vergangenen Geschäftsjahr gesteigert und damit die eigenen Erwartungen übertroffen.

Der um Sonderposten bereinigte Nettogewinn stieg nach Unternehmensangaben vom Dienstag um zwölf Prozent auf 302 Mio. Euro. Im Februar hatte das Unternehmen noch 295 Mio. angepeilt. Der Umsatz wuchs im gleichen Zeitraum um 28 Prozent auf 1,693 Mrd. Euro. Für das laufende Geschäftsjahr rechnet die Fluggesellschaft allerdings nur noch mit einer Gewinnsteigerung um fünf bis zehn Prozent. Vorausgesetzt der Ölpreis verharrt bei 70 US-Dollar je Barrel, erklärte Ryanair-Chef Michael O'Leary in einer Mitteilung des irischen Unternehmens.

Die Zahl der Passagiere stieg im vergangenen Geschäftsjahr um 26 Prozent auf 35 Mio. Die Ausgaben für Flugbenzin erhöhten sich den Angaben zufolge um 74 Prozent auf 462 Mio. Euro.

http://www.n-tv.de/675325.html


***

Just heute ist die irische Airline Zielscheibe der Kritik, Gebühren auf den Passagier umzulegen, die seitens europäischer Flughäfen in dieser Höhe häufig überhaupt nicht anfallen. Unten stehend nur die Kopfmeldung von flightmag

ARD-Magazin plusminus: Ryanair verlangt zu hohe Steuern und Gebühren

05.06.2006
Die irische Billig-Airline Ryanair verlangt bei Flügen aus dem Ausland von ihren Kunden mehr Steuern und Passagiergebühren, als sie selber zahlen muss. Dies berichtet das ARD Wirtschaftsmagazin plusminus in der Sendung am heutigen Dienstag ab 21:50 Uhr in der ARD.

Der vollständige Text hier:

http://www.flightmag.de/index.php?optio ... &Itemid=42



wolke7