Ryanair’s O’Leary says ‘low fares’ will continue to fly

At the lower end of the market, our really cheap promotional fares -- the one euro fares, the €0.99 fares and even the €9.99 fares -- I think you won't see those fares for the next number of years, Mr O'Leary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

We think people will continue to fly. I think people are going to become more price sensitive and therefore my view of life is that people will trade down in their many millions. As demand for air travel has bounced back, staff shortages at airlines and airports have resulted in delays and cancellations in the UK and abroad. Passengers have been forced to wait for hours or reschedule travel at the last minute.

O'Leary said Ryanair had managed the situation better than other airlines because it had been part lucky and part brave in its decision to start recruiting and training cabin crew and pilots last November when the Omicron variant was still affecting international travel.

O'Leary said he had little sympathy for the airports, saying they knew schedules months in advance and that security staff required less training than pilots, which is why security staff at the airports are the responsibility of the airports.

Heathrow defended the cap, saying it was necessary to provide a reliable and safe service. Most of the passengers are now travelling with no or minimal disruption, according to the Airports Operators Association.

He said Britain's departure from the EU had proved to be a disaster for the free movement of labour and he called for the government to be honest and admit that it was the cause of worker shortages.

The UK's labour market is fundamentally broken, according to O'Leary, and it is time for the UK to consider reversing some of the stupidity of Brexit.