Ryanair said today passenger numbers in January rose 20 per cent from last year to 2.042 million.
The carrier said in a statement its passenger load factor - a measure of how many seats it has filled on its planes - was 74 per cent in January compared to 71 per cent a year ago.
Ryanair raised its full-year outlook on Monday after posting a better than expected third-quarter profit, buoyed by struggling rivals who cut capacity or folded.
Ryanair, which is expanding aggressively amid tough competition, has consistently increased passenger numbers as more people travel within Europe on cheaper airfares.
The airline said Internet sales in January accounted for 97 per cent of all sales for the period.
Having predicted a "bloodbath" for Europe's budget airlines this winter, Irish-based Ryanair said its own prospects had improved as rivals have been forced to cut capacity. Ryanair shares were trading 0.8 percent firmer at 6.53 euros in Dublin at 1013.