Ryanair finally admitted today what many have long suspected: the airline’s chief executive just “makes it up as he goes along”.
With one eye, no doubt, on Saturday’s headlines, Michael O’Leary said today the airline was considering charging passengers for the privilege of having an in-flight pee.
“One thing we have looked at in the past and are looking at again is the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door so that people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in future,” Mr O'Leary told BBC television.
He insisted this would not inconvenience passengers travelling without cash and that not everyone used the toilet on board an aircraft.
“I don't think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair aircraft with less than a pound.”
The interview provoked predictable indignation.
Labour Party transport spokesman Tommy Broughan said the fact that Ryanair was considering charging people to use the loo really “takes the biscuit”.
“Passengers already face a massive range of extra unjustified charges on top of the price of their original ticket including over the top charges for baggage, insurance, seating arrangements and for airport check-in,” he said.
“The introduction of a charge for using the toilet on board Ryanair flights would be another nail in the coffin of Ryanair’s claim to be a “low cost” airline. This new proposal comes on the back of Ryanair’s recent plans to introduce a new €30 charge for passengers who carry a separate duty free bag on board.”
He said when this bag charge was introduced, Ryanair passengers had joked about the possibility of being charged to use toiled facilities while in the air.
“In effect, Ryanair now intends to make passengers spend a euro to spend a penny,” Mr Broughan said. “Ryanair has rightly criticised the government’s new €10 airport departure tax as an extra financial burden on passengers that will act as a disincentive to potential travellers.”
He called on Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey to work with the National Consumer Agency and the Commission on Aviation Regulation to “strengthen consumer protection measures for air travellers and review the excessive burden of extra charges on air travel tickets”.
A spokesman for the airline later admitted the chief executive may indeed have been flying by the seat of his trousers in the interview this morning.
Stephen McNamara said: “Michael makes a lot of this stuff up as he goes along and while this has been discussed internally there are no immediate plans to introduce it.”
He said “ancillary revenues” - all of which were “avoidable” - helped to reduce the cost of flying with the airline.
“And passengers using train and bus stations are already accustomed to paying to use the toilet so why not on airplanes?
“Not everyone uses the toilet on board one of our flights but those that do could help to reduce airfares for all passengers."