European airline giant Ryanair on Wednesday announced a seven-percent fall in passenger traffic last month as the Omicron variant triggered restrictions that hit the key Christmas travel season.

But in a possible boost for the Irish no-frills carrier and its peers, the UK could reportedly announce Wednesday that it is scrapping pre-departure coronavirus tests for arriving travellers.

Ryanair said the number of passengers it flew dropped to 9.5 million in December, down from 10.2 million in November.

It was the lowest level since July.

Ryanair already last month said Omicron would have a strong impact on its financial performance as it more than doubled the forecast for its annual loss and cut back flights.

Britain's Press Association has meanwhile reported that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is pressing for a relaxation of restrictions to help the airline sector, while an announcement could come Wednesday.