Why Ryanair Doesn't Care If You Pay €51 for a Flight

Ryanair's average ticket last year was about €51. Flying each passenger cost about €63. So how did it make a record €2.26 billion? We break down Ryanair's own FY26 numbers, line by line: where the €63 goes, what the €24 of extras really adds, why Wizz Air earns more from extras and almost nothing in profit, and why the real money sits in the last 28 seats of every flight. CHAPTERS 0:00 €2.26 billion, and a ticket that loses money 0:28 The fare 1:42 Where the €63 goes 3:20 The extras 4:34 It's not the bag fees 6:39 The last 28 seats 8:10 So how does Ryanair make money? SOURCES Every number comes from these primary sources. Per-passenger and per-flight figures are our own arithmetic, shown in the on-screen footnotes. • Ryanair FY26 results, 18 May 2026: https://investor.ryanair.com/wp-conte... • Ryanair Form 20-F, year to 31 March 2026: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/da... • Ryanair Q1 FY27 results, 20 July 2026: https://investor.ryanair.com/results-... • Wizz Air F26 results, 11 June 2026: https://www.londonstockexchange.com/n... • European Parliament press release, 7 July 2026: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/e... • AviTrader, "Ryanair posts record €2.26bn profit", 18 May 2026 (headline recreated): https://avitrader.com/2026/05/18/ryan... CREDITS Music: "Calm Ambient Dreamscape" by morgan-ambient, "Documentary Calm" by leberch, "Calm Ambient" by Kulakovka (Pixabay). Sound effects: Freesound Community, Dragon Studio, Universfield and oxidvideos via Pixabay. Footage: Pexels. Aircraft and apron images are illustrations made for Midflight; no airline livery. Midflight is not affiliated with Ryanair or Wizz Air. This video is for information only and is not financial advice. Next on Midflight: how Emirates turned Dubai into the world's hub. #Ryanair #Aviation #BusinessExplained