Michael O’Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair, has stated that if it cannot hire foreign air stewards then they will have to cancel a planned expansion in UK flights.
Mr O’Leary warned British workers that they no longer wanted to be cabin crew and attacked the “insane rules” that were imposed after Brexit that prevent the company from employing foreign workers in its 13 bases across the country.
He claimed that the Irish carrier was threatened by plans to station up to 20 additional aircraft in British airports within the next decade. This increase could create as many 1,000 jobs.
Mr O’Leary stated: “The UK is in need of entry-level workers and the young kids will no longer do these jobs due to full employment. No one wants to be a cabin crew anymore. If they don’t want to be cabin crew, then bring in Spanish, Italian, or Central European citizens.
He said that raising wages for new hires was not an option because Ryanair crews already earn between £30,000 to £50,000 per year.
Mr O’Leary said he was also happy to fly deportees to Rwanda as part of Sunak’s plan to crackdown on illegal immigration.
Ryanair, however, would only have spare aircraft in the winter. Kigali, too, is beyond the range of its narrow-body jets for non-stop flights.
Mr O’Leary, who was a staunch opponent of Brexit before the 2016 referendum vote, said that Ryanair’s UK footprint could have been larger without the decision to depart. The UK remains the biggest market for Ryanair, accounting for almost a quarter of all passengers.
Mr O’Leary also called on Labour to take measures to ease the freedom of movement if it wins the next elections, and urged the party to pursue a successful trade deal with the European Union.
He said, “Brexit has been done. Nobody cares any more.” It’s all about how to make the most of this situation. “You’re not joining the EU. That’s fine. I accept that. But do a deal with a maximum of access to the European Economy.”
He said that scrapping the Air Passenger Duty Tax would spur a huge increase in tourism and air travel to and from UK. The tax adds £13 on average to the price of a Ryanair flight.
Mr O’Leary made his remarks before the release of a York Aviation report on the contribution of Ryanair to the British economy. The report suggests that the airline generates £14bn in gross added-value per year and supports 98,000 job.
He said, “I don’t think that we are appreciated or understood.” We are a huge inward investor to the UK, and I believe we can do even more.
Mr O’Leary confirmed Ryanair would be short 15-20 aircraft of its planned fleet during the summer peak due to delayed 737 Max deliveries from Boeing, tied to Boeing’s quality control crisis. This is despite some deliveries being brought forward.
Boeing revealed Wednesday that its main airliner unit suffered operating losses of $1bn (£880m), in the first three months of the year, due to increased safety checks.
He said that summer bookings were looking good, with fares increasing by 5-10% over the period, and the number of passengers on the network reaching 200 million.
Mr O’Leary stated that Ryanair could add up to three additional UK airports, in addition to the 22 already served by it. He also said that some of its existing locations could be converted into bases where it can station aircraft and hire local crew.
Norwich, as well as a hub such a Bournemouth, or Exeter in the Southwest, are both strong candidates.
The CEO said that there was less risk of a serious disruption in European operations this summer compared to 2023 when air traffic control strike led to 16,000 cancellations industry-wide.
Ryanair planned to cancel 500 flight due to overfly France during a controller strike in France on Thursday. The number of flights was reduced to 300 after the SNCTA union announced that its members would not walk out.