Ryanair gives rivals run for their money

DUBLIN: Ryanair Holdings Plc, the low-cost Irish airline whose CEO says he's considering a charge for toilets, may outperform Europe's biggest carriers after expanding routes while rivals parked planes.

Air France-KLM Group and British Airways Plc will probably post losses when they report quarterly earnings this week, after profits last year, analysts say. Deutsche Lufthansa AG may break even. Ryanair yesterday reported net income of 123 million euros ($175 million) in the three months through June after a year-earlier loss, though average ticket prices are falling as the tradeoff for outpacing competitors in passenger growth.

The Irish airline posted a better-than-expected 550 percent rise in first quarter profit thanks to a large reduction in fuel costs but said its outlook remained cautious for the rest of the year.