Ryanair's competitors easyJet is a low-cost passenger airline. Finnair is an airline company that specializes in international and domestic passenger and cargo flights. Lufthansa Group (also known as Deutsche Lufthansa) is an aviation group that provides air transportation services. The fastest way from A to Flybe.

Ryanair’s primary rivals in the European aviation market are other ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs) and low-cost giants, most notably EasyJet and Wizz Air. While Ryanair dominates with its aggressive cost-cutting and secondary-airport strategy, EasyJet competes by flying into more primary, centrally located airports, often appealing to business travelers who still want a bargain. Wizz Air is Ryanair's fiercest competitor in Central and Eastern Europe, often engaging in "price wars" on overlapping routes from hubs like Budapest, Warsaw, and London Luton. Beyond the budget sector, Ryanair also views major legacy flag carriers like Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, and International Airlines Group (IAG, which owns British Airways and Iberia) as rivals, particularly on short-haul European segments where Ryanair’s low fares have forced these traditional airlines to launch their own budget subsidiaries like Eurowings, Transavia, and Vueling. In the UK market, Jet2 is a significant rival for leisure and holiday packages. Despite the intense competition, Ryanair maintains its lead by having one of the lowest cost-per-passenger metrics in the industry, making it incredibly difficult for rivals to undercut them on price for sustained periods.