{
  "id": 17847140,
  "title": "Airfare prices are soaring, and one airline says the worst may be yet to come",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/airfare-prices-are-soaring-and-one-airline-says-the-worst-may-be-yet",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-02T19:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91629209/airfare-prices-are-soaring-and-one-airline-says-the-worst-may-be-yet-to-come"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Airfare costs in Europe may experience a significant increase next year, according to Ryanair, the continent's largest airline in terms of passenger numbers. The Irish budget carrier predicts that ticket prices could climb by up to 20% in 2027 due to soaring fuel prices. While higher fares might not be sufficient to cover the additional expenses, Ryanair is taking steps to mitigate the impact of rising costs. The airline is contemplating temporary employee pay freezes, reduced crew staffing, and increased utilization of artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency. Ryanair attributes the projected increase in fuel costs to the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has driven up oil prices. CEO Michael O'Leary stated that if the conflict remains unresolved, jet fuel prices are expected to stay high into 2027. The airline currently hedges 80% of its fuel requirements for the next 12 months, but this coverage will drop to 25% for the subsequent year, leaving it vulnerable to further price fluctuations. O'Leary anticipates that European airfares may rise by double digits next year, potentially reaching 20%. U.S. budget airline Frontier Airlines recently reported a 71% increase in average ticket revenue per passenger, from $39.74 to $67.82, during the third quarter of 2022, driven by higher fuel costs. As airlines pass on some of these expenses to travelers, the warning from Ryanair suggests that Europe's budget flights may become less common in the upcoming year.",
  "summary": "Flying around Europe could get considerably more expensive next year, even on budget airlines. Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers, is warning that airfares could rise by as much as 20% in 2027 as soaring fuel prices put pressure on its bottom line. And higher ticket prices might not be enough to cover the difference. The Irish budget carrier said Monday that it is considering…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}