Michael O’Leary is fast becoming more famous for his expletive-filled rants than his role as the boss of the low-cost airline Ryanair.
Not one to shy away from speaking his mind, the Irishman has previously dubbed a passenger’s failure to pre-print their boarding pass as their “****-up”.
He’s also raised eyebrows in the aviation community with a series of outlandish suggestions including charging for the use of plane toilets and the possibility of setting up standing flights.
Now it appears that the head of Ryanair has shot himself in the foot by arguing that holidays are “a waste of time”, despite the fact that holiday-going public earn the airline millions of pounds each year.
Speaking to magazine Management Today, Mr O’Leary proved himself to be a veritable holiday Scrooge by saying that he would rather refrain from his family’s annual break.
“Holidays are a complete waste of time. I do it because I have a wife and four children who insist that I have to go away every year otherwise they will be traumatised,” he said.
“I try to explain to them they’ll be more traumatised having me there for two weeks.”
He went on to confirm that he chooses Ryanair when the mood does strike him for a break abroad, but admitted that the airline’s barrage of fees, which have come under fire from consumer groups, had also hit his pocket hard: “it costs me a fortune in excess baggage.”
Mr O’Leary then attempted to inspire sympathy by arguing that he isn’t making as much in wages as other leading players in the industry.
“I was paid €1.2 million last year for carrying 80 million passengers. Aer Lingus’s boss got €1.3 million for carrying nine million passengers,” he said.
“I think I’m the most underpaid and under-appreciated airline boss in Europe.”
Ironically, the head of Ryanair then went on to describe his conduct, in a way that many would argue would struggle to justify a pay rise.
“I’m probably unemployable, which is why a business as ****** as the airline industry is one where I can flourish,” he said.
(Images: The Green Party, Simon Lexton)
