Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary laughs off getting pied in face – and brings spare shirt to AGM

Sep 14, 2023 at 1:56 PM
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary laughs off getting pied in face – and brings spare shirt to AGM

Michael O’Leary has shrugged off issues for his private security after local weather change protesters threw cream pies in his face, and says that the airline business is being unfairly blamed for local weather change.

The Ryanair CEO was accosted by two women exterior the European Commission in Brussels final Thursday as he was making ready at hand in a petition.

“Stop the pollution of your planes,” they advised Mr O’Leary earlier than hanging him with two cream pies.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary after getting pied in Brussels (screengrab)
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Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary after getting pied in Brussels

Speaking to Sky News earlier than the Ryanair AGM in Dublin, the colorful chief government joked about retaining a watch out for flying pies, however denied the incident had made him involved for his personal security as local weather protests proceed.

“No,” he shrugged. “We got 10 times more publicity than I would’ve for a boring old petition anyway, and if the cost of that is the occasional cream cake, then we’re up for it.”

“It’s the first time environmentalists have given me cake,” he quipped.

“I feel aviation will get unfairly blamed for local weather change. Shipping accounts for five% of Europe’s CO2 emissions, airways account for two%. Nobody complains in regards to the ferries. We’re a little bit of a poster boy for the local weather change motion.

“I actually have got a spare shirt today, just in case. Some lunatics might be let loose in the building – there’s lots of them in a Ryanair building.”

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Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary pied within the face by protesters

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At the AGM, Ryanair shareholders accredited an enormous cope with Boeing, that can see the airline buy 300 new 737-Max-10 plane, permitting Ryanair to almost double passenger capability over the subsequent decade.

O'Leary said pieing gave him more publicity.
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O’Leary mentioned pie incident gave him extra publicity

Mr O’Leary advised shareholders it will be “transformational”.

The listing value for the 300 plane is about £32bn, however the CEO mentioned he had secured “very competitive discounts” from Boeing.

The Max-10 planes will exchange Ryanair’s older 737NGs and may carry round 40 further passengers per plane, permitting for better gasoline effectivity.

Mr O’Leary advised Sky News that there have been no penalty clauses for late supply included within the deal, having beforehand attacked Boeing for failing to ship on time. He had described the Seattle producer’s bosses as performing like “headless chickens”, however struck a extra conciliatory tone at this time.

Ryanair AGM
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Ryanair AGM in Dublin

“I think we’re back working closely with them, but it’s still challenging,”s he mentioned. “They continue to visit delays on us. These delays are really costly for us.”

Some components have been exterior Boeing’s management, he acknowledged, including that manufacturing passenger plane just isn’t so simple as “making dogfood.”