In the world ranking of the main airlines based on revenue per passenger carried per kilometer in December 2021, Ryanair ranked number 9, with 11.8 billion dollars, according to Statistical.
With that volume of revenue, it was only behind giants such as American Airlines (26.2 billion), United (23.8 billion) and Delta (20.3 billion), which are in the top 3.
In addition, in the ranking of the main airlines low cost most profitable worldwide, Ryanair ranked second (2019 data), only behind the American Southwest Airlines. Ryanair, together with JetBlue Airways, occupied the second and third position, respectively.
This very favorable scenario for the Irish company led to the controversial CEO of the firm, Michael O’Leary, to affirm that his company will end up being “the only great airline low cost of Europe” and the widening cost gap will make rivals EasyJet and Wizz “purchase goals”.
“Europe is undoubtedly moving towards a business scenario similar to that of the United States, where there will be three large traditional airlines and one large airline. low costRyanair,” O’Leary said.
Ryanair strategy: go shopping
Your competitors don’t agree so much.
Wizz CEO Jozsef Varadi, who has always said his costs are similar to Ryanair’s, said in late October that doesn’t see his airline as a buying target by the Irish company or by any other firm.
From EasyJet, meanwhile, an operator focused on lowering the price of traditional airlines but that is not considered a direct rival of Ryanair, said after O’Leary’s statements that “millions of travelers in Europe are going to be relieved to know that there is no realistic prospect that Ryanair will become the only airline low cost of Europe”.
O’Leary said in a conversation with analysts after publishing his latest financial report that the rival airlines “would be candidates for mergers and acquisitions in the next two years”, arguing that “They are trapped in a business segment that forces them to charge medium value fares, with medium costs and unable to compete” with Ryanair.
O’Leary praised EasyJet for having been able to gain a foothold at some of Europe’s expensive airports, London Gatwick and Paris Charles de Gaulle, Geneva and Zurich, but said the British airline was losing markets in Italy and Portugal, where Ryanair’s strength it is “unstoppable”.
The Irish company’s CEO also said Wizz was expanding in the Middle East, but withdrawing from key markets in central and eastern Europe.
In addition, he said that everything indicates that “the Portuguese TAP and the Italian ITA” will end up being acquired by larger rivals.
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