Ryanair's CE sees terror `cloud' weighing on Europe’s airlines

Ryanair is battling lower fares in the first months of its financial year, weighed down by French air-traffic controller strikes and by travellers’ concerns about a future terrorist incident. “There is a kind of cloud hanging over our business,” CE Michael O’Leary said Tuesday. “If there’s no more terrorist events in Europe between now and mid-summer, I think things return to normal, but there’s no doubt that the pricing in my first quarter is affected by these ATC strikes and the concerns over people traveling, particularly on business.” Earnings in Q4 ended March 31 were probably cut by E10m (US$11.4m) to E20m because of the strikes in France and subdued bookings in the wake of the terror attacks in Brussels, and those effects could last into the current quarter, the CE said last week. <br/>