Ryanair sees price war fuelling rapid air travel recovery

Ryanair is steeling for an airline price war that it expects to win once coronavirus restrictions are lifted and passengers flock back to tourist destinations, CE Michael O'Leary said Wednesday. Brushing off forecasts of a sluggish recovery, O'Leary predicted a swift traffic rebound, with the pain coming instead from "massive price-dumping" that traditional airlines now seeking bailouts would struggle to keep up with. His bullish outlook puts the Ryanair boss at odds with peers such as Lufthansa and analysts who see a return to 2019 traffic only around 2023-4. IATA have also warned of a slow recovery from the pandemic. Ryanair assumes European flights will stay grounded until a "limited" resumption in June, O'Leary said. After that, a resurgence of intra-European travel will be driven by steep discounts on last-minute holidays in July-August.<br/>