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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/sep/12/ryanair-boss-tells-chris-grayling-to-get-off-his-backside-and-strike-deal-with-eu
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| Ryanair boss tells Chris Grayling to 'get off his backside' and strike deal with EU | Ryanair boss tells Chris Grayling to 'get off his backside' and strike deal with EU |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has told Chris Grayling to “get off his backside” and strike a deal with the EU to avoid flights being grounded by a no-deal Brexit, in a swipe at the transport secretary’s overtures to individual countries. | Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has told Chris Grayling to “get off his backside” and strike a deal with the EU to avoid flights being grounded by a no-deal Brexit, in a swipe at the transport secretary’s overtures to individual countries. |
| O’Leary, who has transformed the no-frills airline into Europe’s largest during his 25-year tenure, referred to Grayling’s efforts to convince 27 EU member states to prepare bespoke aviation deals with the UK. | O’Leary, who has transformed the no-frills airline into Europe’s largest during his 25-year tenure, referred to Grayling’s efforts to convince 27 EU member states to prepare bespoke aviation deals with the UK. |
| He said such a plan was “doomed to failure”, adding that “Chris Grayling has had no assurances from the EU that planes will continue flying” after 29 March 2019, the official Brexit date. | He said such a plan was “doomed to failure”, adding that “Chris Grayling has had no assurances from the EU that planes will continue flying” after 29 March 2019, the official Brexit date. |
| A deal would eventually be thrashed out in the event that flights to and from the Europe ceased, he predicted, because politicians would be forced to respond to public anger. | A deal would eventually be thrashed out in the event that flights to and from the Europe ceased, he predicted, because politicians would be forced to respond to public anger. |
| “Even Jacob Rees-Mogg and some of the crazier wing of the Brexiteers will struggle to explain why there are no flights to Europe,” he added. | |
| “Many of them have holiday homes in Europe.” | “Many of them have holiday homes in Europe.” |
| But he said Grayling should “get off his backside” in the meantime to ensure an EU-wide agreement that prevents flights being grounded at all. | But he said Grayling should “get off his backside” in the meantime to ensure an EU-wide agreement that prevents flights being grounded at all. |
| In his wide-ranging remarks O’Leary also admitted making “mistakes” in his handling of strikes by cabin crew and pilots but vowed to put up with more industrial action if necessary. | In his wide-ranging remarks O’Leary also admitted making “mistakes” in his handling of strikes by cabin crew and pilots but vowed to put up with more industrial action if necessary. |
| Ryanair was forced to cancel 20,000 flights last year amid staff rostering problems and industrial disputes in several countries. | Ryanair was forced to cancel 20,000 flights last year amid staff rostering problems and industrial disputes in several countries. |
| O’Leary, who waived a €1m (£890,000) bonus over the resulting flight cancellations, conceded he should share some of the blame for the disruption, which has tested Ryanair’s reputation for reliability. | |
| “I need to improve my own performance,” he said, adding: “Clearly we’ve made mistakes […] with the unions.” | |
| But he also refused to back down in the face of further industrial action, including large-scale walkouts planned by cabin crew later this month. | But he also refused to back down in the face of further industrial action, including large-scale walkouts planned by cabin crew later this month. |
| He said Ryanair was “willing to accept strikes” to avoid a rise in costs that might force it to raise fares, vowing that the airline would not “roll over like easyJet every time we’re threatened with a strike”. | He said Ryanair was “willing to accept strikes” to avoid a rise in costs that might force it to raise fares, vowing that the airline would not “roll over like easyJet every time we’re threatened with a strike”. |
| He accused the unions of promising members “motherhood and apple pie and 70% of the virgins in paradise” but insisted staff were well paid. “We won’t bend over because they threaten us with strikes,” he added. | |
| O’Leary made his remarks during a presentation of the airline’s summer schedule, including a new base at Southend, two more aircraft at Luton and 23 new routes. | O’Leary made his remarks during a presentation of the airline’s summer schedule, including a new base at Southend, two more aircraft at Luton and 23 new routes. |
| He said the expansion would take to 26 million the number of customers a year travelling through London airports, predicting that continued growth would see Ryanair overtake easyJet as the airline with the most UK passengers in the next 12 to 18 months. | |
| Michael O'Leary | Michael O'Leary |
| Ryanair | Ryanair |
| Brexit | Brexit |
| Transport policy | Transport policy |
| Airline industry | Airline industry |
| Chris Grayling | Chris Grayling |
| news | news |
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