€1bn cashback on the Ryanair agenda

Ryanair has set out plans to return €1bn (£850m) to shareholders over the next two years, hours after confirming a massive order for planes worth almost €16bn at list price.

The budget Irish airline set out plans for at least €400m in share buybacks during the current year to March 2014, and as much as €600m in special dividends or buybacks for the following year as long as current fuel, yields and profitability trends continue. It also raised its target for the number of passengers it carries each year to 110 million by March 2019, from 100 million previously.