Ryanair and Wizz Air report jump in passenger numbers
Budget airlines Ryanair and Wizz Air have both reported a healthy jump in passenger numbers for November.
Traffic at Ryanair, which is part-way through its customer charm offensive dubbed "Always Getting Better", rose 21 per cent to 7.71m passengers, while its load factor rose five percentage points to 93 per cent.
Rolling annual traffic to November rose 17 per cent to 99.9m customers.
The business is entering the second year of its Always Getting Better programme, which will include a new car hire service, new website, new app, updated cabin interiors and crew uniforms and an improved inflight menu.
Passenger numbers at Wizz Air meanwhile grew by 26 per cent for the month, flying 1.49m people in that time. Load factor rose slightly to 83.6 per cent.
It comes as the firm signed its largest-ever lease agreement for 11 Airbus A321ceo aircraft and expanded its fleet to 64 aircraft with the arrival of its first brand new A321ceo to its Budapest base in Hungary.
Wizz Air is also planning furher network expansion with two new routes to and from airports in Romania and Lithuania.