Ryanair executives must have breathed a sigh of relief when the September figures revealed that passenger numbers jumped 5%.
This brought the total number of people flying with the budget carrier to 8.5 million, up from 8.1 million last September.
Ryanair transports 83.8 million people a year and is aiming to attract an extra 1 million customers. The company is working towards a long-term growth target of 150 million customers by 2024.
It said it expects full-year net profits to be in the region of £484m to £506m.
It is still working on its softer, more cuddly image. Efforts so far include allocated seats, permission to carry a second albeit small bag on board, and scrapping the dreaded £70 fee for printing a boarding pass at the airport.
Its website contains fewer pitfalls for the unwary to navigate around.
And, mercifully, no more condemnation of customers as “stupid”.
