Summer holidays are again on monitor after Ryanair vowed to not hike its fare costs
The airline had been expecting low single-digit increases in air fares in its peak season this summer as the Iran war and closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused havoc with fuel supplies
Millions of families will be breathing a sigh of relief(Image: Getty)
Summer holidays are back on track after budget airline Ryanair vowed not to up its fare prices as a result of the jet fuel crisis.
The no frills Irish airline said it had been expecting low single-digit increases in air fares in its peak season this summer as the Iran war and closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused havoc with fuel supplies.
But Europe’s biggest airline, which carries more than 180 million passengers annually, has now U-turned and said it has secures enough jet fuel for the key summer holiday months. And that’s great news for the millions of families hoping for a foreign holiday abroad this summer.
Ryanair said it is now expecting prices to stay “broadly flat” between July and September at least. The good news announcement will bring joy to millions of cash-conscious families planning travels abroad.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said: “Pricing in recent weeks has eased somewhat in response to economic uncertainty caused by higher oil prices, the fear of fuel shortages and the risk of inflation adversely impacting consumer spending.” The group said while it has secured pricing for 80%of its jet fuel needs, the cost of the remaining 20% has “spiked” due to the Middle East conflict.
As such it cautioned that unless there is change soon its costs could jump by a “mid-single digit” percentage later this year and into 2027. Mr O’Leary said European airlines were sourcing their jet fuel from alternative countries to overcome the supply shock caused by Iran’s blockade of the crucial Strait.
He added: “The conflict in the Middle East has created economic uncertainty and we still don’t know when the Strait of Hormuz will reopen. Despite this, Europe remains relatively well supplied with jet-fuel, with significant volumes sourced from west Africa, the Americas and Norway.”
Like other airlines, the group said bookings were increasingly being made at the last minute, though it said demand remained “robust”. Bosses expect to fly 4% more passengers over the year to March 2027, at 216 million, matching the 4% growth it saw in 2025-26.
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