Airline Ryanair said passenger numbers continued to rise in May, with the company carrying more than 20 million passengers during the month. That was a 6 per cent increase on the number of passengers that flew with the airline in May 2025. Load factor, a measure of how full flights are, was steady at 95 per cent. Ryanair operated more than 114,000 flights in May, with a total of 20.7 million passengers on board. On a rolling 12-month basis, the airline carried 210.4 million passengers over the period to the end of May, a 4 per cent rise year on year. Load factor remained at 94 per cent. The airline last month announced a record full-year profit of €2.26 billion for the year ended March 31st. But the company has also warned that ongoing conflict in the Middle East has made Irish and European consumers cautious about their summer travel plans. Although the airline is still on track to beat last year’s passenger numbers, it is cutting summer fares to maintain demand. Ryanair has ordered 80 per cent of its fuel needs for the current financial year in advance at $67 a barrel, insulating it against current volatility.