Ryanair has reported profits of 211 million euro (£185 million) for the last three months, nearly triple its profits for the same period pre-Covid.

The budget airline said “pent-up travel demand” over the October half-term and Christmas holidays has led to a bumper quarter.

For the same quarter pre-Covid, it made 88 million euro (£77 million) and this year it said passenger numbers are 7% higher than before the pandemic, with 38.4 million using the airline from October-December.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary (PA)

Ryanair has also announced 230 new routes and said it is expanding in Italy, Poland, Ireland and Spain, while more than 95% of crews have also had their pay cuts restored by agreement, the company added.

Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s chief executive, said his company has added a further 11 aircraft to its Gamechangers fleet, which has 4% fewer seats and uses 16% less fuel.

He also said that an investment of more than 200 million dollars (£161 million) will save 1.5% of fuel by retrofitting existing aircraft with scimitar winglets.