The budget airline flew 168.6 million passengers over the year up to the 31st of March, surpassing the previous pre-pandemic record of 149 million. This number, Ryanair hopes, will be surpassed this financial year and reach 185 million, a 10% increase.

The company has said the bookings for the summer season are strong, as it’ll operate its largest-ever schedule with nearly 2500 routes and over 3000 daily flights.

Ryanair plans to grow traffic to 225 million a year by the end of its 2026 financial year and up to 300 million by the end of 2034, creating over 10,000 jobs for pilots, cabin crew, and engineers.

Laying the groundwork, Ryanair earlier this month sealed the largest ever US order by an Irish company, buying 300 new planes from Boeing for $40 billion to boost their growth further.

There aren’t signs inflation is hitting demand, Ryanair’s chief financial officer said, as people see travel as key in summer, considering it “not as a luxury but as an essential and families are returning to the beaches of Europe this summer,” Michael O’Leary, CEO, said in an investor call.

Despite increased demand, Ryanair has said capacity for short-haul air travel in Europe has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, as European budget airlines suffered greatly under lockdowns, and some even went under. The Irish carrier plans to capitalise on this space in the market, it says.