Michael Clifford: O’Leary claims fly in the face of industry facts

For a long time the market in pilots favoured Ryanair. If the balance of power shifts to the pilots, then cultural change will follow at the company, writes Michael Clifford

Mick O’Leary needs to get out a bit more. On Tuesday he claimed to have no knowledge of a global shortage of pilots. “Is there a shortage of pilots? No, I have never yet come across a worldwide shortage of pilots,” he told a press conference. “We don’t have a shortage of pilots here at Ryanair. We have 4,200 pilots.”

Why is Mr O’Leary so adamant that pilots have nothing to do with the debacle in which Ryanair has cancelled 50 flights a day for the next six weeks?