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Ryanair earnings plunges on lower fares, sending shares down 15%.

Ryanair's earnings slumped by nearly half in the 3 months to the end of June as ticket prices plunged 15% from the very same period in 2015, increasing worries of a weak summer for Europe's airlines as the postCOVID boom abates.

Ryanair's shares were down 15% by 1155 GMT, its worst single-day fall considering that 2016, with shares one-third lower than their early April all-time peak. Competitors Wizz and easyJet were down around 9% and 8% respectively.

The trend is downwards and weaker, Ryanair President Michael O'Leary told financiers in an analyst call after the results on Monday.

After-tax profit for the 3 months to the end of June, the very first quarter of Ryanair's financial year, was 360 million euros ($ 392 million), down 46% on the very same period last year and well listed below the 538 million euro earnings forecast in a business poll of experts.

O'Leary said it was far prematurely to forecast the outlook for the year, but stated there was no indication of an end to the weak point.

It could well be a double-digit (percentage) decrease in rates in Q2, he said, describing the July-September quarter. And at that stage ... all bets are off in Q3 and Q4.

O'Leary, who in May had forecast fares flat to decently up for the summer season, stated the very best case for July-September was now falls of 5%.

LAST-MINUTE WEAKNESS

Ryanair makes substantial profit from high last-minute fares, however O'Leary stated whenever in recent weeks that it gotten rid of lower-priced fares for last-minute tickets, the remaining higher-priced tickets stopped working to offer.

We are consistently seeing cost resistance, he stated, adding that the airline company prepared to aggressively market low fares.

Chief Financial Officer Neil Sorahan put the weakness down to consumers being a little bit more economical, a bit more cautious and a rebalancing after two years of double-digit growth in fares.

Asked when the weak point might end, Sorahan stated: Who. knows?

Liberum analyst Gerald Khoo said he expected considerable. drawback threat to consensus estimates for Ryanair's full-year. profit as an outcome of the outcomes.

More aggressive rates by the market leader is most likely to. lead to adverse fallout for the other European airline companies, Khoo. stated in a note.

O'Leary said Boeing had actually warned him in current days. that some 737 MAX shipments due by next spring would be postponed. until the peak summer months of 2025-- a repeat of hold-ups this. year that required a cut in summertime traffic volumes.

We will have less capability into summer season '25 than we were. initially set up to have, he stated.

(source: Reuters)