Ryanair Lifts Full Year Profit Forecast After Nov. Traffic Climbs 22%

(RTTNews) - Irish low-cost airline Ryanair Holdings Plc. (RYA.L, RYAAY) Thursday said its traffic in November climbed 22 percent to 6.35 million customers, while load factor rose by 7 percentage points to 88 percent from from 81 percent in 2013.

Ryanair attributed this stronger than expected initial winter performance to the continuing success of its "Always Getting Better" customer program, stronger forward booking strategy and the airline's substantial fare and unit cost advantage over all other European airlines.

Considering the better than expected performance in the first month of its substantially expanded winter schedule, Ryanair revised its full year traffic guidance up from 89 million to just over 90 million customers.

The airline also raised its full year profit after-tax forecast from its previous range of 750 million euros to 770 million euros, to a new range of 810 million euros to 830 million euros.

Ryanair noted that the final full year profit will still be heavily reliant on close in bookings and yields in the fourth quarter over which it presently has very little visibility.