# Ryanair weighs temporary pay freezes and leaner flight crews amid fuel costs

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/ryanair-considers-pay-freezes-and-reducing-crew-on-flights-as-fuel-costs-soar/
- Published: 2026-11-02T09:06:51+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-02T09:32:21+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/nov/02/ryanair-considers-pay-freezes-reducing-crew-on-flights-fuel-costs-soar-ai
- Topics: AI, Art, Business, Culture, Europe, Middle East, Technology, Travel, World

## Key points

- Ryanair is weighing pay freezes and fewer crew to cut costs.
- It forecasts a €2bn rise in fuel costs by March 2028.
- The airline expects short-haul fares to rise materially.

## Summary

Ryanair is reviewing cost cuts, including possible temporary pay freezes, fewer crew on flights and wider use of AI, as it braces for higher fuel bills linked to the Middle East conflict. The measures could help Europe’s biggest low-cost airline by passenger numbers absorb costs it expects ticket-price rises may not fully cover.

Ryanair estimates its fuel bill will increase by about €2bn in the financial year ending March 2028 and expects European short-haul fares to rise materially, potentially by up to 20% across the sector. Its fuel is hedged at $67 a barrel for 80% of needs through March, and at $95 for 25% of needs over the following year. In the quarter to September, average fares fell 2% year on year, while passenger numbers rose 5% to 64.5 million and post-tax profit fell 6% to €1.61bn.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.