Ryanair’s full year profits have fallen 29% to €1.02bn, the company said.
The company saw traffic growth of 7% and a decline in fares of 6% in the year to March 31 2019.
Revenues at the low-cost airline grew 6% to €7.56bn over the same period.
Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, said he is expecting “broadly flat group profits” into the financial year ending in 2020 – when their reporting will include Lauda in the consolidated Ryanair Group – but this is dependent on “no negative Brexit developments”.
We continue to have utmost confidence in these aircraft
The company said: “Assuming revenue per passenger (RPP) growth of 3%, we are guiding broadly flat Group profits.
“This will range from €750m if RPP rises 2%, up to €950m if RPP rises 4%.
“This guidance is heavily dependent on close-in peak summer fares, H2 prices, the absence of security events, and no negative Brexit developments.”
The company also said it had delayed the delivery of five Boeing 737-Max aircraft until winter – with no meaningful cost benefit from the delivery expected until the financial year ending in 2021.
It said: “We continue to have utmost confidence in these aircraft which have 4% more seats, are 16% more fuel efficient and generate 40% lower noise emissions.”
Two Boeing 737-Max aircraft crashes – one in Ethiopia in March and another in Indonesia in October – killed 346 people, leading to the aircraft being temporarily grounded.
Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, said: “As previously guided, Ryanair (excluding Austrian low-cost airline Lauda) reports a full year after tax profit of €1.02bn.
“Short-haul capacity growth and the absence of Easter in Q4 led to a 6% fare decline, which stimulated 7% traffic growth to over €139m.
“Ancillary sales performed strongly up 19% to €2.4bn, which drove total revenue growth of 6% to €7.6bn.”
The board of the company has also approved a €700m share buyback which will commence later this week and run over the next year.