Ryanair says it will not add fuel surcharges despite rising jet-fuel costs. CEO Michael O’Leary said most airlines had hedged fuel costs into summer 2026 and predicted rivals would pass costs on next year through surcharges or higher fares.
O’Leary said higher fuel costs would hit weaker airlines hardest and predicted that loss-making carriers would fail. He argued the pressure could speed up European consolidation into four large airlines: British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France and Ryanair.
Days earlier, O’Leary apologized for using “rapists” to describe rivals’ high fares at a Dublin press conference; the remark drew backlash from politicians in Ireland and the U.K. and sexual-violence advocacy groups. In a video aired by Virgin Media News, he said rape could not be trivialized and that he would try to learn from the mistake.
