Irish no-frills airline Ryanair has nosedived into the red in the first quarter, as the coronavirus pandemic decimated air travel demand and grounded fleets worldwide, AFP reported while quoting the group.

Dublin-based Ryanair suffered a loss after taxation of 185 million euros ($216 million) in the three months to the end of June, or first quarter of its financial year, compared with net profit of 243 million euros in the same part of 2019, it said in a statement.

Passenger numbers fell by 99 per cent to just 0.5 million people compared with 42 million a year earlier, while more than 99 percent of the airline's fleet remained on the tarmac.

"Covid-19 grounded the group's fleet for almost four months, from mid-March to end June, as EU governments imposed flight or travel bans and widespread population lockdowns,” the carrier said in a statement.