Irish Examiner view: Simple air travel doesn't have to be a flight of fancy

A good week for Ryanair in spite of inflation-fuelled fears in Europe

Michael O'Leary has been bullish about the achievements of his airline during a difficult time.

Despite some disruption to Ryanair flights caused by inflation-fuelled anxieties among Europe-based staff, it’s been a very good week for Michael O’Leary who has given several bullish interviews about the resilience of his airline.

His methods in the past 18 months included the retention of staff and ensuring that his pilots kept their monthly air hours up, a requirement for retaining licences, even if it meant flying jets with no passengers. 

As for the shortage of ground staff, he is brisk about this in an interview with the Daily Telegraph saying that it is a consequence of Britain’s “hugely inflexible” labour market.

The Brits don’t want to do jobs like picking fruit or baggage handling, he said. Worse than that the cabinet has “less fucking brainpower than your average plant”, adding that Boris Johnson is “an idiot of the highest fucking order.” 

So far, so knockabout but with the summer peak still to come and images of piles of luggage left at airports, perhaps more needs to be done to confront the new reality of air travel in an industry that has not recovered its equilibrium.

Ryanair was among the pioneers of encouraging increased use of in-flight baggage where passengers toted their own luggage onto a plane just as they would on a train or a coach. But what started life as a good idea, saving time and turnround, has now become sclerotic.

Fares can become a complex mix of prices depending on the numbers, weight and size of checked-in and carry-on cases. EasyJet, BA, Ryanair and Aer Lingus operate different dimensions and policies. It would be helpful if onboard cases were standardised industry-wide. One size fits all. Smaller, personal, bags should be a maximum rather than the moveable feast they appear to represent at the moment.

This may be a reduction in consumer choice but it would bring other advantages, such as speed and a potential reduction in frustration as other passengers appear to be pushing their options to the limit.

It may not work for long-haul but short-haul needs to be kept as simple as possible.

Perhaps Michael O’Leary is just the person to push that through.