Michael O’Leary has warned holidaymakers of flight price hikes and air traffic controller staff shortages this summer.
The Ryanair boss predicted that getting through airports will be “challenging” for passengers.
He also warned that flight prices will soar this summer as there’s a high demand for European holidays after the Covid-19 pandemic restricted previous years.
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Ryanair's fares may rise above those seen before the pandemic struck due to rising fuel costs due to soaring oil prices following the Ukraine war.
He told BBC Radio 4 that holidaymakers should prepare for prices to rise by a “high single-digit per cent” during the peak season as demand for breaks to European beach resorts rises.
He added: “There’s no doubt getting through airports this summer is going to be challenging and we’re encouraging all of our customers to show up earlier to allow more time to get through airport security.
“It seems to us that there will be higher prices in that peak summer period because there’s so much demand for the beaches of Europe and those price rises are going to continue.”
Mr O’Leary said it was “impractical, if not impossible” to give guidance for 2022 to 2023 because of the risks created by Covid and the Ukraine war for holiday bookings.
A fifth of their expected fuel needs are not already secured in advance meaning it “will give rise to some unbudgeted cost increases” which might cause prices to ramp up over the next few months.
Mr O’Leary said that “this recovery, however, remains fragile”, despite a huge demand in passengers and bookings following Covid travel restrictions.
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