Ryanair’s O’Leary threatens action over compo deal
The controversial chief executive also wished Aer Lingus well in their battle with the striking trade unions at Dublin Airport and said he hoped Aer Rianta would be next.
Mr O’Leary left the aviation industry in no doubt about his philosophy for low cost travel when he addressed a conference on Deregulation and Open Skies in Brussels yesterday.
The European Commission, British Airways and Eurocontrol were all represented at the event where in his keynote speech Mr O’Leary lambasted them and most of the other carriers.
There was more than a ripple of unease when he delivered his criticism in plain language, coloured by four letter words, calling them rip-off merchants and accusing them of living in ivory towers.
He was very critical of a recently agreed compensation package of up to €600 and an alternative flight for passengers bumped off flights because of over booking and meals and hotels for passengers who are delayed.
“If you were serious about this you would simply ban over booking,” he told the commission officials at the conference. It would not affect Ryanair because they do not overbook, he added.
There was a big difference between the passenger who spent €700 on a ticket and one who spent €19 on his with Ryanair. The compensation should at least be related to the cost of the flight, he said.
Coffee, meals and hotels for delayed passengers was unworkable and absolute madness, he said, and if nobody else does he will appeal it to the courts where he expects to win.
On the Aer Lingus dispute Mr O’Leary predicted the company would win.
“They are doing the right thing. What we are seeing is the last death throes of inefficient trade unions and the dyed-in-the-wool headbangers in Aer Rianta will be next. Dublin Airport is a union run rat-hole for the past 50 years.”
Mr O’Leary was upbeat on the case of Charleroi Airport on which the European Commission is due to report in the next few weeks. There are claims that the airport, which is owned by the Walloon Government, is guilty of giving state aid to Ryanair as part of a sweet-heart deal to get them to use it.
