Ryanair boss predicts “biggest price increase in history” for plane tickets in Europe in 2027

2027, bad year to travel? “You are going to see the biggest increase in plane ticket prices in history in Europe in the next 12 months,” warned Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary at a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday, October 20. He anticipates prices rising “by 10%, 15%, maybe even 20%”.

Blame it on the conflict in the Middle East which has caused oil prices to soar since the spring. And if Ryanair, like other companies, has limited the damage until now with negotiated prices, Michael O’Leary estimates that “in April, we will pay twice as much for barrels”. The boss of the low-cost airline also predicts “fewer available seats due to bankruptcies and takeovers” of companies, and points to possible increases in European taxes. “All our margins are going to be sucked away by oil prices and taxes.”

The Irish boss also organized his press conference to announce the closure of 20 lines departing from Belgium. A retaliatory measure against the Belgian government, which increased the federal tax on aviation to 7 euros per ticket from 5 euros. It is less than the 10 euros initially envisaged, but it was not enough to satisfy Ryanair which prefers to scale back… And does not hesitate to blackmail the executive, by promising 100 new destinations from Brussels if the tax increase is abandoned.

“Well done to Prime Minister De Wever, another fucking brilliant initiative,” said Michael O’Leary, famous for his unfiltered speaking engagements, who called for “voting for the opposition in the next election.” The boss explains that Ryanair prefers to send its planes “to Slovakia, Italy or Sweden”, where taxes are currently lower. “Just look at what happened in France or Germany: they raised taxes, and air traffic fell.”