RYAAY August Traffic Remains Flat Sequentially, FY27 Traffic View Down

Ryanair HoldingsRYAAY, a European carrier, reported solid traffic numbers for August 2026, driven by upbeat air-travel demand. The number of passengers transported on Ryanair flights was 22.2 million in August 2026, reflecting a 6% year-over-year increase.

Apart from a year-over-year surge, RYAAY’s traffic in August came in line with the July reading of 22.2 million and has surpassed the June reading of 21.2 million, May reading of 20.7 million, April reading of 19.3 million, March reading of 15.8 million, the February reading of 13.3 million and the January reading of 12.7 million, highlighting continued momentum from the beginning of the year.

Ryanair’s load factor remained flat year over year and sequentially at 96% in August 2026, reflecting stable and consistent demand for the carrier’s services. It also improved from the load factor of 95% reported in June and May 2026, 93% reported in April and March 2026, 92% reported in February 2026 and 91% reported in January 2026.

RYAAY operated more than 1,20,500 flights in August 2026. However, more than 400 flights were canceled due to Mt. Etna volcanic eruptions.

Fiscal 2027 Traffic Outlook

Concurrent with the August traffic numbers,Ryanair also unveiled a disappointing traffic outlook for fiscal 2027. Ryanair reduced its fiscal 2027 traffic forecast from 216 million to 214 million passengers to minimize the company’s exposure to unhedged high fuel prices during the upcoming winter months (November 2026 to March 2027). RYAAY is expecting traffic to be flat year-over-year during the period between November 2026 and March 2027.

RYAAY anticipates this winter schedule trimming of traffic outlook should also reduce the company’s winter losses by an estimated €70 million to €100 million. Management also assumes that high unhedged fuel costs this winter imply short-haul airfares will likely need to rise significantly across the sector.

Given this backdrop, we wait for further updates during the company’s second-quarter fiscal 2027 results, which are expected to be released during November 2026.

RYAAY’s Zacks Rank & Price Performance

RYAAY currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Shares of RYAAY have plunged 25.5% so far this year compared with the 12.7% decline of the Zacks Airline industry.

RYAAY Stock’s YTD Price Comparison

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Stocks to Consider

Investors interested in the Zacks Transportation sector may consider Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. EXPD and Seanergy Maritime Holdings SHIP as well. 

Expeditors currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

EXPD has an expected earnings growth rate of 28.6% for 2026.  The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 17.15%.

Seanergy Maritime Holdings currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.

SHIP has an expected earnings growth rate of more than 100% for the current year. The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 38%.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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