Ryanair is struggling. As several European countries face new lockdowns (Ireland, France, and the UK among them), the low-cost airline has announced it will not be able to refund customers who canceled their tickets for November. This decision applies only to flights that actually took place: customers who did not board the plane will not be refunded. The only option available to them is to change their booking to a later flight without any extra fees.
Ryanair Faces an 80% Drop in Passengers
The Low-Cost Carrier Favors Flight Rescheduling Over Refunds
Who could have predicted that Covid-19 would shake a giant like Ryanair? Today, the Irish airline is genuinely struggling. Restrictions from national lockdowns and quarantine policies are severely weakening the company, raising concerns among its employees and CEO Michael O’Leary.
The numbers speak for themselves: 17.1 million passengers flew with Ryanair in the last six months, compared to 85.7 million the previous year.
The airline reported a loss of €196.5 million for this period, down from a profit of €1.15 billion last year.
This complex situation forces the company to take new measures. Michael O’Leary told BBC’s Today program:
If a flight is operating, then no, we will not offer refunds. But customers can take advantage of our flight change flexibility, and we have removed change fees. So, if they booked in November, they can reschedule their booking to December or January if needed. But there will be no refunds for flights that have operated.
This decision has sparked mixed reactions—some travelers are unhappy, while others accept it.
For Ryanair, the priority is to stop the financial bleeding as quickly as possible: only the most resilient will hold on to ensure the company can bounce back as soon as the health situation improves.
