Markets

Ryanair shares crash land as online agents boycott airline

Shares at Ryanair dropped almost 5 per cent after the company warned of weakened profits

Ryanair: In an update to investors, the Irish aviation giant said it expects short-term load factors in December and January will reduce by 1-2 per cent, while it also expects yields or profits “to soften” as the company invests in more direct to consumer promotions. Picture: Sasko Lazarov

Shares at Ryanair plummeted in afternoon trade as the ongoing row between the low-cast airline and with online travel agents heats up.

Ryanair has warned that its legal dispute with online travel agencies such as Booking.com - which has resulted in the platforms removing Ryanair flights from their websites - will result in a fall off in passenger numbers over the short-term, while also weakening its profitability.

In an update to investors, the Irish aviation ...