Ryanair carried more international passengers than any other airline last year, according to the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) figures.
Ryanair said world airline passenger statistics for 2006 showed 40,532,000 cross-border passengers flew with it during the year, nearly 2,300,000 more than its nearest rival, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, which carried 38,236,000 passengers.
Third in the table was Air France with 30,417,000 and British Airways was fourth with 29,498,000. Ryanair's UK rival easyJet was sixth with 21,917,000.