Ryanair is considering boosting the incentive for its staff to identify oversized passenger luggage, its chief executive has revealed – as quarterly profits more than doubled thanks to strong Easter demand and higher fares.
Currently, staff at the low-cost airline receive about €1.50 (£1.30) for each instance of intercepting customers with larger-than-permitted bags, with a reported monthly cap of around €80 per employee.
Passengers found with luggage exceeding their paid allowance face a charge of up to €75.
The airline presently includes a small carry-on bag, measuring up to 40x25x20cm and weighing 10kg, with every ticket.
Following an agreement among European airlines to adopt a new minimum size for cabin luggage, the carrier has decided to increase one dimension of the bag size from 25 to 30cm in the coming weeks. The dimensions will soon be 40x30x20cm – a volume of 24l.
However, customers wishing to bring larger items or multiple bags must pay an additional fee.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said on Monday that summer fares would, on average, be the same rate as 2023.
However, he added that he expects a boost in profitability for the airline by “controlling costs”.
Members of the European parliament are pushing for airlines to allow passengers to be allowed to bring an on-board personal item and small hand luggage for free.
However, Mr O’Leary predicted the proposal would not come into law due to a lack of space.
Speaking to the business news on RTE’s Morning Ireland, he said: “We’re flying largely full flights, about half the passengers can bring two bags and the other half can only bring one – because that’s all that fits in the plane.
“We’re already struggling with that amount of baggage. That’s one of the reasons we are so aggressive about eliminating the scourge of passengers with excess baggage.”
Mr O’Leary said more than 99.9 per cent of passengers comply with baggage rules, and “sizers” are located within airports.
“We are happy to incentivise our [staff] with a share of those excess baggage fees, which we think will decline over the coming year or two,” he said. “It is about €1.50 per bag – and we’re thinking of increasing it, so we eliminate [excess baggage].”
It came as the carrier reported profits after tax of €820m for the three months to the end of June, up from €360m a year earlier.
Revenues jumped by 20 per cent to €4.34bn, boosted by the timing of Easter but also as Ryanair saw fares rise – in particular better-than-expected fares for last-minute bookings. The average fare rose 21 per cent year-on-year to €51 in the quarter, it said.
Mr O’Leary said the final 2025-26 outcome remains heavily exposed to adverse external events.
Visa integrity fee: The new $250 charge visitors to US must pay under Trump scheme
Huge setback for California’s $128bn high-speed rail project after Trump cuts funding
Everything you need to know about US travel in 2025
easyJet hits out at ‘significant costs’ of French air-traffic control strike
Revealed: starting date for EU entry-exit system, and Etias permit price hike
London Waterloo disruption live: SWR issue update on ‘do not travel’ warning
