SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
 

Washington, D.C. 20549
 


FORM 6-K
 


Report of Foreign Private Issuer
 


Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 


For the month of  September, 2008
 
 

RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
 
 

c/o Ryanair Ltd Corporate Head Office
Dublin Airport
County Dublin Ireland
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
 
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
 
 
Form 20-F..X.. Form 40-F.....
 
 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934.
 
 
Yes ..... No ..X..
 
 

If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant
in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ________
 
 

RYANAIR
'S 
TRAFFIC GROWTH CONTINUES 
19% INCREASE IN AUGUST PASSENGER NUMBERS
 
LOWEST FARES AIRTRAVEL GROWING RAPIDLY
Ryanair, Europe's 
largest 
low fare airlines today (
Thursday, 
4
th
 
September
 2008
) 
announced that it
s pa
ssenger
 number
s
 continue
 to grow as Ryanair 
carried almost
 
5.8
 million 
passengers in 
August
, a 1
9% 
(94
0,000 passenger) 
in
crease 
when 
compared to 
August
 2007
.
  
Ryanair has carried over 55million passengers 
in the year to August 2008
.

Ryanair has 
now 
increased passenger numbers 
every month this year while continuing to m
aintain a load factor of 81
%.  
Ryanair
's
 load factor remained ex
ceptionally strong in August with 
90%
 of available seats being snapped up by deal hungry passengers.
  The load factor for August '08 was slightly down on August '07 due to an increase in capacity over the last 12 months.

Ryanair continues to grow passenger numbers despite a Europe wide economic slowdown which has seen high fare, fuel surcharging, airlines lose price sensitive passengers to Ryanair's guaranteed lowest fares and no fuel surcharge.  
Ryanair are confident that passenger numbers will continue to remain strong 
as competitors 
continue to 
raise their high fares and fuel surcharges
 and 
haemorrhage
 more passengers to Ryanair
.

Stephen McNamara
, Head
 of 
Communications
, said
:

"
Ryanair's latest passenger figures show that we 
continue to grow passenger number
s
 every month this year. Our 
rapidly growing 
passenger 
numbe
rs 
come at a time when many airlines
,
 which are facing huge losses
,
 
are raising fares and fuel surcharge
s
 in an attempt to 
turn these losses around
.
 
 
However, the reality is 
that 
this has driven their passengers 
to Ryanair. N
ow 
even 
more passengers realise that low fare, fuel surcharge free, 
travel is still possible - but only with Ryanair. We have carried over 55million passengers in the last 12months
, 
proving
 
that p
assengers are 
increasingly attracted to 
Ryanair's 
guaranteed
 lowest 
fares 
and our promise of no fuel surcharge
s ever
".

The following are 
Ryanair
's passenger and load factor statistics for August 2008. 

 
Aug 07
Aug 08
Increase
12 mth to 31 Aug 08
Passengers (m) 
1
 
4.84m
5.78m
19%
55.12m
Load Factor 
2
 
91%
90%
-1%
81%



Ends.
    
    
    
    
    
    
                     Thursday, 4th
 September 2008

For further information:

Stephen McNamara
 
    
    
    
    
    
Pauline McAlester
Ryanair
    
    
    
    
    
                    
Murray Consultants
Tel: 00 353 1 812 1212 
    
    
    
    
Tel: 00 353 1 4980 300

 


 

SIGNATURES
 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
 
 

 

RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC




Date:  4 September, 2008
 

 

By:___/s/ James Callaghan____
   
 

James Callaghan
 

Company Secretary & Finance Director