Ryanair said its passenger numbers dropped by 7 per cent in December, compared with November. AFP
Ryanair said its passenger numbers dropped by 7 per cent in December, compared with November. AFP
Ryanair said its passenger numbers dropped by 7 per cent in December, compared with November. AFP
Ryanair said its passenger numbers dropped by 7 per cent in December, compared with November. AFP

Travel curbs cause Ryanair passenger numbers to drop to lowest since July


Laura O'Callaghan
  • English
  • Arabic

Ryanair said Omicron travel restrictions in the UK and across continental Europe caused its passenger numbers to fall to its lowest level since July.

The budget airline said it served 9.5 million customers in December, a decline of 7 per cent from the 10.2 million people it flew in November before the latest round of coronavirus testing requirements and curbs were imposed for travel.

Ryanair ran 62,200 flights last month, with a load factor – a measure of how well an airline fills its planes – of 81 per cent, down from 86 per cent in November.

Shortly before Christmas, the group had issued a warning over profits as it slashed its passenger forecast for December and January due to the Omicron restrictions.

The Irish airline had previously expected to fly between 10 million and 11 million passengers in December.

It also slashed its guidance for January by 33 per cent as restrictions were imposed on British passengers flying to Germany and France and all EU passengers to Morocco.

In the run up to Christmas, France banned all non-essential travel from Britain, citing concerns about the rapid spread of Omicron across the UK.

  • A woman passes Britain's National Covid Memorial Wall, in Westminster, London. The UK has recorded more than 200,000 coronavirus cases in a day for the first time. PA
    A woman passes Britain's National Covid Memorial Wall, in Westminster, London. The UK has recorded more than 200,000 coronavirus cases in a day for the first time. PA
  • Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic. Reuters
    Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic. Reuters
  • Two women wearing face masks sit in an empty Tube train in London. The latest figures indicate that 1.2 million Britons have tested positive for Covid-19 over the past week. EPA
    Two women wearing face masks sit in an empty Tube train in London. The latest figures indicate that 1.2 million Britons have tested positive for Covid-19 over the past week. EPA
  • A woman walks past a Covid-19 testing sign in London. EPA
    A woman walks past a Covid-19 testing sign in London. EPA
  • Boris Johnson visits a vaccination centre at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury, England. AP
    Boris Johnson visits a vaccination centre at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury, England. AP
  • A member of staff at Park Lane Academy in Halifax, England, assists a student as he takes a Covid-19 lateral flow test. AFP
    A member of staff at Park Lane Academy in Halifax, England, assists a student as he takes a Covid-19 lateral flow test. AFP
  • Overflowing bins in the Walton area of Liverpool, England await collection by refuse workers after coronavirus-related staff shortages.
    Overflowing bins in the Walton area of Liverpool, England await collection by refuse workers after coronavirus-related staff shortages.
  • Year 8 students wear masks during class at the Park Lane Academy in Halifax, England. AFP
    Year 8 students wear masks during class at the Park Lane Academy in Halifax, England. AFP
  • Volunteers hand out boxes of Covid-19 lateral flow tests in north-east London. AFP
    Volunteers hand out boxes of Covid-19 lateral flow tests in north-east London. AFP
  • People wearing protective masks walk through Waterloo train station in London. Reuters
    People wearing protective masks walk through Waterloo train station in London. Reuters
  • Health Secretary Sajid Javid visits the Montgomery Hall vaccination centre in Kennington, south London. PA
    Health Secretary Sajid Javid visits the Montgomery Hall vaccination centre in Kennington, south London. PA
  • Pupils sit next to lockers at the Fulham Boys School in London. Reuters
    Pupils sit next to lockers at the Fulham Boys School in London. Reuters
  • Information signs above the M8 motorway in Glasgow, Scotland. PA
    Information signs above the M8 motorway in Glasgow, Scotland. PA
  • Staff at Park Lane Academy in Halifax process students' Covid-19 lateral flow rapid antigen tests. AFP
    Staff at Park Lane Academy in Halifax process students' Covid-19 lateral flow rapid antigen tests. AFP
  • A sign advising customers that there are no lateral flow test kits available in the window of Wanstead Pharmacy in east London. PA
    A sign advising customers that there are no lateral flow test kits available in the window of Wanstead Pharmacy in east London. PA

Passengers have to provide a compelling reason to enter under the rules, which include exceptions for French citizens and their spouses.

Ryanair cut its full-year results guidance to a net loss of between £209 million (€250m) and £375 million (€448m) from a previous net range of between £83 million (€99.2m) to £167 million (€200m).

On a year-on-year basis, the no-frills airline reported an increase in passenger numbers from 1.9 million in December 2020, when there were strict restrictions to control last winter’s wave of the pandemic.

In early December, the UK announced a new set of rules that require all travellers over the age of 12 to show a negative Covid test to enter the country, regardless of vaccination status. A further test, which must be a PCR, has to be taken within two days of arrival.

Travel industry leaders have called on ministers to scrap the testing rules which they say are scuppering the sector's recovery.

As well as increased travel restrictions, the UK ministers imposed a set of “Plan B” measures in December to limit the spread of Omicron. Face masks were made mandatory in most public indoor settings, people were ordered to work from home where necessary and travel certificates showing vaccination or a negative test result were ushered in for nightclubs.

Despite the curbs, Covid cases surged over the Christmas and New Year period and, on Tuesday, the UK declared a new daily record of 218,724 infections.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday he hoped to “ride out” the wave of Omicron without lockdown measures despite the NHS coming under significant strain.

He is expected to make a further announcement about Covid rules after a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

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Company%20Profile
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Water waste

In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.

Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.

A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.

The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.

Disturbing%20facts%20and%20figures
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E51%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20in%20the%20UAE%20feel%20like%20they%20are%20failing%20within%20the%20first%20year%20of%20parenthood%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E57%25%20vs%2043%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20is%20the%20number%20of%20mothers%20versus%20the%20number%20of%20fathers%20who%20feel%20they%E2%80%99re%20failing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E28%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20believe%20social%20media%20adds%20to%20the%20pressure%20they%20feel%20to%20be%20perfect%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E55%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20cannot%20relate%20to%20parenting%20images%20on%20social%20media%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E67%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20wish%20there%20were%20more%20honest%20representations%20of%20parenting%20on%20social%20media%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E53%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20admit%20they%20put%20on%20a%20brave%20face%20rather%20than%20being%20honest%20due%20to%20fear%20of%20judgment%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cspan%20style%3D%22font-size%3A%2014px%3B%22%3ESource%3A%20YouGov%3C%2Fspan%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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One in nine do not have enough to eat

Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.

One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.

The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.

Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.

It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.

On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.

Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.

 

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

Updated: January 05, 2022, 11:31 AM