Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1527558
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 OCTOBER 2024 4 INTERVIEW Ryanair CEO: 'We think we're now the official airline of Malta' RYANAIR CEO Michael O'Leary has boldly declared his airline as the "official airline of Malta," saying it has contribut- ed significantly to the country's tourism growth over the years. In an interview, O'Leary celebrates Ryanair's significant presence in Malta, highlighting a 24% growth in passenger traffic over the past year. It increased from 3.3 million to 4.4 million passen- gers in 2024. This surge in traffic makes Ryanair more than twice the size of KM Malta Airlines, which he says is projected to serve around 1.6 million passengers this year. O'Leary attributes this success to Ry- anair's heavy investment in the island, creating hundreds of jobs and driving year-round tourism by maintaining flights outside the peak summer season. The Irishman says Ryanair has been beneficial to Malta's tourism sector, bringing millions of visitors not only during the summer but also during the quieter periods. He stresses the impor- tance of continuing this trend, aiming to expand traffic in the winter months to reduce Malta's reliance on summer tourism. But Ryanair's ambitions don't stop there, with plans to potentially double its Malta traffic to 8 million passengers annually by the early 2030s. On the broader airline industry, O'Leary notes a change in consumer preferences post-COVID, with pent-up demand driving strong traffic in 2022 and 2023. However, while Ryanair saw 10% growth in 2024, ticket prices were down 5-10% compared to the previous year, offering even better deals to pas- sengers. O'Leary expects airfares to rise gradu- ally over the next few years due to con- strained aircraft supply, increasing fuel and airport costs, and limited capacity growth across Europe. He projects Ry- anair's average fare to increase from €45 to €50-60 by 2030 but reassures that the airline's lower-cost structure would al- low it to remain competitive compared to higher-priced airlines like Lufthansa and British Airways. O'Leary also addresses Ryanair's long-standing conflict with online travel agencies, accusing some of inflating fares by illegally scraping the airline's website. He welcomes the progress made with 90% of agents agreeing to transparency but criticises others, particularly Spain's eDreams, for continuing to overcharge passengers. O'Leary also criticises European air traffic control and urges reforms to pro- tect overflights during national strikes while ensuring fully staffed ATC servic- es. He argues that such changes could eliminate up to 90% of flight delays, im- proving air travel across the continent. Despite this, O'Leary says he is confident in Ryanair's future, expecting continued growth in both passenger numbers and influence. He is the boss of an airline that prides itself in providing low-cost travel, but Michael O'Leary has the audacity to claim that Ryanair is the 'only' budget airline in Europe. While in Malta to unveil new routes he sits down with Nicole Meilak to discuss tourism, air traffic control strikes and how his airline is now Malta's 'official' airline.