New Ryanair ForumMichael at LBG
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Michael at LBG
by atoutprix Sat 22 Jun 2013 - 10:18
Michael O’Leary, the devil-may-care head of Ireland-based European budget airline Ryanair, made his first Air Show appearance in Paris this past week and lived up to his reputation for colorful language and unmediated disrespect for legacy flag carriers and government bureaucrats.
Arguably the most hard-nosed operator in the airline world, he offered nuggets of wisdom on the state of the airline world, mixed with his routine invective and only a single passing use of the f-word.
O’Leary was, of course, full of praise for the “phenomenally reliable” jet he was in Paris to sign for, the Boeing 737-800. By this summer, he’ll have a fleet of some 300.
While O’Leary described the neo as “a serious airplane,” he provided a detailed argument for why the MAX is likely to win his favor.
So it certainly looks good for a very big MAX order from Ryanair.
However, O’Leary said that pricing will determine how many he will order. With a nod to Conner beside him: “It depends what he tries to stiff me for.”
Other notable quotes:
• On some other European airliners:
“Air Berlin continues to stride forward by getting smaller.”
“Only in Norway would Norwegian be considered a low-cost airline. Which is why every time they come to compete with us, be it in Dublin or anywhere else, they’ve usually struggled.”
And O’Leary thinks Norwegian’s chief executive, Bjorn Kjos — who has bought 787s to expand into long-haul operations — has been deluded by the lure of aviation technology.
“Like a lot of pilots, he gets sexually aroused about aircraft.”
• Would O’Leary like to expand operations into Russia, a Russian journalist asked.
A resounding no. He blamed “the regulatory crap that exists in Russia.”
“There are considerable regulatory hurdles over there, which frankly are a pain in the arse, and life is too short when we have so many more growth opportunities.”
• Having bid unsuccessfully for Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus, would he consider any other airline acquisitions?
“We have considered a takeover of Lufthansa, but frankly, its market cap is a little small compared to us and the strategy is a bit confused, so we ruled it out.
“We’ve never considered taking over Air France, though we could probably buy it out of the loose change we have.”
• On the European Union plan to introduce a carbo- emissions tax on airlines, a plan delayed last year by stiff opposition from China and the U.S.:
He began by deriding the notion of global warming, which he blamed on “environmental loonies” and “a bunch of incompetent European politicians taxing Europe’s consumers so that they can do something about climate change.”
It would be better to address real issues such as European unemployment by promoting tourism, he said.
“Instead of trying to solve nonexistent issues like climate change, why don’t you actually get young people in Europe back to work?”
Read (much) more :
http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2021243365_sundaybuzz23xml.html
Arguably the most hard-nosed operator in the airline world, he offered nuggets of wisdom on the state of the airline world, mixed with his routine invective and only a single passing use of the f-word.
O’Leary was, of course, full of praise for the “phenomenally reliable” jet he was in Paris to sign for, the Boeing 737-800. By this summer, he’ll have a fleet of some 300.
While O’Leary described the neo as “a serious airplane,” he provided a detailed argument for why the MAX is likely to win his favor.
So it certainly looks good for a very big MAX order from Ryanair.
However, O’Leary said that pricing will determine how many he will order. With a nod to Conner beside him: “It depends what he tries to stiff me for.”
Other notable quotes:
• On some other European airliners:
“Air Berlin continues to stride forward by getting smaller.”
“Only in Norway would Norwegian be considered a low-cost airline. Which is why every time they come to compete with us, be it in Dublin or anywhere else, they’ve usually struggled.”
And O’Leary thinks Norwegian’s chief executive, Bjorn Kjos — who has bought 787s to expand into long-haul operations — has been deluded by the lure of aviation technology.
“Like a lot of pilots, he gets sexually aroused about aircraft.”
• Would O’Leary like to expand operations into Russia, a Russian journalist asked.
A resounding no. He blamed “the regulatory crap that exists in Russia.”
“There are considerable regulatory hurdles over there, which frankly are a pain in the arse, and life is too short when we have so many more growth opportunities.”
• Having bid unsuccessfully for Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus, would he consider any other airline acquisitions?
“We have considered a takeover of Lufthansa, but frankly, its market cap is a little small compared to us and the strategy is a bit confused, so we ruled it out.
“We’ve never considered taking over Air France, though we could probably buy it out of the loose change we have.”
• On the European Union plan to introduce a carbo- emissions tax on airlines, a plan delayed last year by stiff opposition from China and the U.S.:
He began by deriding the notion of global warming, which he blamed on “environmental loonies” and “a bunch of incompetent European politicians taxing Europe’s consumers so that they can do something about climate change.”
It would be better to address real issues such as European unemployment by promoting tourism, he said.
“Instead of trying to solve nonexistent issues like climate change, why don’t you actually get young people in Europe back to work?”
Read (much) more :
http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2021243365_sundaybuzz23xml.html
atoutprix- FR Moderator
- Number of posts : 2351
Location : Brussels, Belgium (nearest FR base : BRU)
Registration date : 2007-12-13
Ryanairflyer- FR Moderator
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Location : Manchester(EGCC)
Registration date : 2009-06-13
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