Ryanair passengers can breathe easy for one more summer: the airline's chief executive Michael O'Leary has confirmed the carrier will not introduce fuel surcharges, even as jet fuel costs climb. The relief, however, comes with a catch — he expects almost every other European airline to slap the fees on tickets from summer 2026.
Speaking to reporters, O'Leary explained that most carriers hedged their fuel purchases well in advance, locking in prices through the summer of 2026. That buffering means the current spike in oil costs is being absorbed for now. But the protection is temporary. "None of us will be able to absorb those much higher oil prices next year," he said, predicting the costs will be passed directly to passengers through surcharges and higher airfares. Ryanair's own position, he insisted, is different: the low-cost giant will not levy a fuel surcharge, while what he called the "legacy" carriers — the likes of British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France — certainly will.
More striking still was O'Leary's blunt admission that he actually hopes fuel prices keep rising. Why? Because expensive jet fuel, in his view, will push loss-making airlines out of business faster and speed up a consolidation he's long predicted: a European market dominated by just four big players — BA, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and Ryanair itself. For travellers, that could mean fewer airlines competing on popular routes, and less downward pressure on fares in the years ahead.
The comments landed just days after O'Leary issued an unusual public apology. At a press conference in Dublin he had compared rival airlines to rapists, a reference to their high fares, and initially defended the remark when challenged. After criticism from politicians in Ireland and the UK and from sexual violence support groups, he posted a video statement saying that conversations with family and friends had made him realise the harm his wording caused. He apologised "sincerely and unreservedly" to survivors, adding: "It won't happen again."
What does this mean if you're booking a holiday? Short term, not much — Ryanair fares shouldn't carry a fuel surcharge this summer, and its hedged rivals are holding prices too. But the smart money is on 2026 being pricier, particularly on full-service carriers. If a trip to Europe is on your radar for next year, booking earlier in the cycle may well pay off, and it's worth comparing low-cost and legacy fares carefully rather than assuming the gap is what it used to be. Fewer competitors in the market rarely works in the passenger's favour.
The broader takeaway: Europe's airline map is heading for a shake-up, and the man running its biggest low-cost carrier is openly rooting for it.
