Ryanair Holdings has been included in the Dow Jones Stoxx index. The inclusion was a "reflection of the carrier's increased market capitalisation and its future prospects", Ryanair said.

It is capitalised at €2.26 billion (£1.78 billion).

The airline said this exceeded KLM, the Dutch flag carrier, and SAS, the Scandinavian carrier.

Mr Howard Millar, Ryanair's director of finance, said the inclusion would "raise the profile of Ryanair even further and make it a very attractive investment for institutions worldwide as many European institutions are precluded from investment in small companies and this new accreditation enhances Ryanair's marketability even more".