=20 Ryanair firms orders for 32 737s, raises profit outlook for current year Monday October 2, 2006=20 Ryanair on Friday raised its full-year net profit guidance to approximately= =E2=82=AC335 million ($426 million) and said it firmed options on 32 737-8= 00s valued at $2.25 billion, bringing its total number of firm orders for 7= 37-800s to 281.=20 Deliveries are scheduled between September 2008 and June 2009. Ryanair said= the price it is paying for the jets will give it "the lowest per seat oper= ating cost of any European airline." It also forecast an 11% rise in earnings for the fiscal year to next March = 31, up from previous guidance for a 5%-10% increase. It cited better-than-e= xpected passenger growth, a more moderate yield decline than anticipated an= d a lower-than-projected cost of hedging its fuel bill. It now forecasts a = passenger growth of 22% to 42.5 million for the full year, slightly higher = than the previous 20%.=20 "Our outlook for this winter remains cautious. This winter we will launch 1= 06 new routes and two new bases (Marseille and Bremen). We have also hedged= our fuel requirements for Q4 at an average cost of $73 per barrel, lower t= han we had originally anticipated," Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said.= =20 "We anticipate that our loss-making competitors will continue to dump fares= ," O'Leary added, and second-half load factors are estimated to fall 2 poin= ts versus a year ago, "which will give improved yield stability in the wint= er period." This will result in the decline in forecast yields being closer= to 5%, at the lower end of the 5%-10% range in earlier guidance. by Cathy Buyck =20 View our videos at: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=3Dewrw4co =20 Roger & Amanda La France