Even a pandemic can’t keep Ryanair from flying higher
Who’s afraid of the Delta variant? Not Michael O’Leary. Over the last 16 months of sickness, death and lockdown, the billionaire Ryanair boss has rediscovered his controversy button and has lately been loudly telling governments to stick their “scariants” and let everyone fly again. Much of his ire has been reserved for Ireland, whose scientific and medical leaders must envy the UK’s Chris Whitty for only getting accosted in the park. Every airline is of course demanding the reopening of travel, although most observe the niceties of saying public health comes first. But then Ryanair’s pandemic has not followed the trajectory of most. Almost uniquely among European carriers, Ryanair’s share price is higher now than it was in February 2020, before travel restrictions and the grounding of fleets saw investors take fright and wipe out most of airlines’ and travel firms’ market value. While the price of IAG, easyJet and others has remained low, Ryanair’s has bounced back – and is now almost 50% higher since O’Leary increased his stake in the autumn doldrums, making his share worth around E700m. So despite the pandemic, Ryanair will report its first-quarter 2021-22 results on Monday in a relatively buoyant mood, even as the sector tears it hair out over the continuing and confusing Covid restrictions at the start of peak season. Available fares from the UK to Europe remain staggeringly low for summer, even by Ryanair standards: a family could in theory fly to the Med and back for less than the price of the PCR tests – should they wish to gamble on changing rules and Ryanair’s refund policy. What these troubled years may indeed bear out is O’Leary’s bullish view that the more market volatility, the better for his airline. <br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2021-07-26/unaligned/even-a-pandemic-can2019t-keep-ryanair-from-flying-higher
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Even a pandemic can’t keep Ryanair from flying higher
Who’s afraid of the Delta variant? Not Michael O’Leary. Over the last 16 months of sickness, death and lockdown, the billionaire Ryanair boss has rediscovered his controversy button and has lately been loudly telling governments to stick their “scariants” and let everyone fly again. Much of his ire has been reserved for Ireland, whose scientific and medical leaders must envy the UK’s Chris Whitty for only getting accosted in the park. Every airline is of course demanding the reopening of travel, although most observe the niceties of saying public health comes first. But then Ryanair’s pandemic has not followed the trajectory of most. Almost uniquely among European carriers, Ryanair’s share price is higher now than it was in February 2020, before travel restrictions and the grounding of fleets saw investors take fright and wipe out most of airlines’ and travel firms’ market value. While the price of IAG, easyJet and others has remained low, Ryanair’s has bounced back – and is now almost 50% higher since O’Leary increased his stake in the autumn doldrums, making his share worth around E700m. So despite the pandemic, Ryanair will report its first-quarter 2021-22 results on Monday in a relatively buoyant mood, even as the sector tears it hair out over the continuing and confusing Covid restrictions at the start of peak season. Available fares from the UK to Europe remain staggeringly low for summer, even by Ryanair standards: a family could in theory fly to the Med and back for less than the price of the PCR tests – should they wish to gamble on changing rules and Ryanair’s refund policy. What these troubled years may indeed bear out is O’Leary’s bullish view that the more market volatility, the better for his airline. <br/>
