O’Leary hints at Ryanair departure

Dublin: Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary said his time with the airline could come to an end in the next two to three years.

Mr O’Leary, speaking in London after a Ryanair investor day, also said he could foresee a time when the Irish Government would ask Ryanair to take over Aer Lingus.

Ryanair announced it had hedged 50% of its fuel requirements for the first quarter of the 2011 fiscal year. The airline may suspend expansion of its route network for “one or two years” in 2012 and use the cash generated to pay dividends if the airline can’t negotiate cheaper prices for planes, Mr O’Leary added.