The so-called "delta variant" of the coronavirus is currently causing a headache for European politics. According to doctors, this is considered to be much more contagious and should also be heat-resistant. It is assumed that this mutation will prevail in Europe over the summer. Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary does not see the business in danger.

The manager of Europe's largest low coster assumes that there will be occasional disruptions like the last one in Lisbon, but "I think only slightly and that will not be long because of the advancing vaccinations in Europe". He also told Reuters that there has been a very sharp increase in new bookings in recent weeks.

In Germany, Scandinavia and the Benelux countries in particular, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece are said to be in particularly high demand. The situation in the United Kingdom and Ireland is different, because the respective governments adhere to strict entry and quarantine regulations. Ryanair recently brought a lawsuit against the Johnson government's travel lights together with the Manchester Airports Group.

Michael O'Leary expects the group he heads to have between 2022 and 80 million passengers on board by the end of March 100 (end of the current financial year). The goal is quite ambitious, because in the previous year there were around 27,5 million passengers. For comparison: In the time "before Corona", i.e. in 2019, the Ryanair Group carried around 149 million travelers.