We are facing the "largest increase in air ticket prices in the history of Europe"

Higher prices are expected to be driven primarily by the rising costs of aviation fuel. Many carriers did not protect themselves against this increase in advance. Additionally, the supply of seats may decrease as a result of airline bankruptcies and takeovers.

Next year, ticket prices in Europe will increase, in my opinion, by 10, 15, maybe even 20%. "In the next 12 months we will probably see the biggest increase in ticket prices in the history of Europe," O'Leary said during a press conference in Brussels.

More expensive fuel hurts carriers

The war with Iran significantly increased the price of aviation fuel, limiting the margins of those carriers that did not have adequate price protection, writes Reuters. Airlines set the price of some fuel in advance for the future to protect themselves against sudden increases.

O'Leary emphasized that Ryanair and other European airlines had strong safeguards in place for 2026. When the conflict began at the end of February, the Irish carrier had 80% of its operations secured. fuel demand until March 2027 - at a price of $67 per barrel.

However, the situation is expected to be different from April 2027. According to the head of Ryanair, most European airlines have secured a small part of fuel costs for this date. Ryanair secured only 15% for the next year. fuel expenses at a price of $85 per barrel. This is about half of current market prices, O'Leary noted.

Ryanair limits its offer in Belgium. New aircraft certification

The CEO of Ryanair came to Brussels to announce the reduction of the winter flight network in Belgium. The airline intends to eliminate 20 routes and reduce the number of seats offered by over a million.

The decision is a reaction to the planned increase in the Belgian aviation tax. From January, the fee is to increase from EUR 2 to EUR 7.