Ryanair posts another record month with 10.3 million flying

That beats the previous monthly record - only set in July - when it carried 10.1 million passengers.

The airline will this morning unveil a significant expansion of its services from Dublin Airport at an event attended by Transport and Tourism Minister Paschal Donohoe.

Ryanair said that its load factor in August - the percentage of available seats it filled - rose two percentage points to 95pc.

The airline has been targeting flyers including families and business travellers with better service, new routes and increased frequencies.

It's also starting to take delivery of a number of new aircraft that it bought as part of two major deals with US plane maker Boeing.

The Irish Independent reported a number of weeks ago that Ryanair planned to boost its winter capacity at Dublin, basing more aircraft at the capital than previously anticipated.

Ryanair said that it carried 96.3 million passengers in the 12 months to the end of August - a 15pc increase on the 12 month period to August last year.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary last week predicted the "mother and father" of air fare wars this winter as carriers benefit from cheap fuel and improving economies.

The airline will also make its debut in Israel this year with routes to the country.