Ryanair CEO sees 'significantly' higher plane ticket prices next summer

DUBLIN - Ticket prices for short-haul flights across Europe next summer will be significantly higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary told Reuters on Thursday.

O'Leary said bookings over the coming months were "patchy", with some periods of extraordinary demand around school holidays in October and at Christmas, while current prices were low.

"Prices will rise I think during October and at Christmas and I think prices into next summer will be significantly stronger than they were pre-COVID because there's about 20% less capacity in the short-haul market across Europe," O'Leary said in an interview after the airline's annual general meeting.