Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary Says He’d ‘Happily’ Offer Rwanda Deportation Flights

36 comments

1. *From Bloomberg News reporters Kate Duffy and Charlotte Ryan:*

   Ryanair Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary weighed into the UK’s controversial plan to deport refugees to Rwanda, saying he would “happily” do the flights if he had the available aircraft.

   “If it was the winter schedule and we had spare aircraft sitting around and if the government were looking for additional deportation flights or any other flights, we would happily quote for the business,” O’Leary said in an interview in London.

   The UK government hasn’t approached Ryanair to carry out the flights, O’Leary said. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to push ahead with a plan to send people seeking asylum in the UK to Rwanda despite opposition from courts and across both sides of the political spectrum.

2. >“we would happily quote for the business,” O’Leary said

   I’d study that quote very carefully if I was Sunak… the hidden extra charges are where they get you. Every time. 

3. Well, yeh, he’d get paid for it and it’d make sense for an airline who had capacity to be interested in this. Who else could do it?

   Why is this a story?

4. I slagged Ryanair off the other day, but now I actually love them. This is quite the redemption arc.

5. As if his shitty wipe down planes could reach Rwanda

6. They’d land at Southend though and expect those being deported to make their own way to Rwanda.

7. I was already not gonna fly with then again anyway, but I’ll definitely add this to list.

8. Too much like cruel and unusual punishment – they’d win an appeal easy.

9. Most airlines won’t touch it because breaking international law is a good way of getting your flying licence revoked

10. It’s bad enough deporting people but sending them on Ryanair constitutes a human rights violation

11. The fact that he’s so much of a cunt that he would happily forcibly traffic refugees to a country they have no connection to and don’t want to be transported to seems pretty abhorrent.

    History’s not going to look back kindly on this scheme and on the people who supported it.

12. Time for me to start booking with Ryanair and support the company!

13. How much taxpayer money do you think they’re going to get?

    Another question, would Air stewards be on these planes?

14. After their long, arduous journey, the last thing they’ll want to do is get in his shit tins

15. Having flown with them coyboys once, I feel sorry for anyone having to fly with them. The irony of them being forced into the planes isn’t lost either.

16. Bloody hell, that less comfortable traveling than the dingy they turned up on!

17. Of course he would. A government contract? All his christmases would come at once.

18. He’s not going to offer it in the summer when he doesn’t have spare planes. The Tories are unlikely to be in power in the winter, and Labour in one of their two separate policies want to handle asylum seekers from within the UK.

    So it’s not like there’s going be any demand for these flights in the winter.

    So this is a bit like me saying if my wife ever permitted me to sleep with Emily Blunt, I would gladly provide Emily with a quote.

    PS the quote is £0

19. Of course he’s willing to quote for it. Big fancy government contract. Who wouldn’t?

20. Of course he would, he knows Ryanair flights to Rwanda will actually land in Egypt or Holland..

21. Ryanair would take them to Rwanda-Hahn Airport which is actually in Lesotho.

    They would offer the flights at 4p per head, unless you want to send them away with some luggage. That’s now £250 a head.

22. The true deterrent to economic migrants will be having to fly Ryanair

23. If he “throws in “ the bacon rolls the govt will be hard pushed to refuse

24. Too many so called peace demonstration,  why add to that.

25. That’ll be cheap as chips. Well until he starts put the extras on of course 🤣

26. O’Leary has always said anything to get his airline in the news. Standing-only flights, fees to use the toilets, etc. etc. It’s all bollocks but it reliably gets him a few headlines so happy days.

27. Good, it is not that migrants have carry-on luggage anyway.

28. As if we needed any.more confirmation what a nasty piece of work O’Leary is.

29. This is going to be a trial for one of those standing up sections isn’t it? Or flights without a functioning toilet that he’s joked about in the past?

30. Cunt would dig his granny up if he thought she had gold fillings and then charge his mum to rebury her.

31. I’m sure anyone being deported to Rwanda would be rather upset at the brusque attitude of many Ryanair cabin crew.

32. “Businessman says he’d pursue opportunity to make money on a government contract”

33. If they remove all seats and make them stand, it will be cheaper. Is that the guy?

34. Considering that it’s supposedly already costing us £11k per passenger for just the flights and not including any of the other costs, I can’t blame the guy. I’d rent a coach and drive them to Kigali for half a million.

35. “Money grubbing ghoul offers to do ghoulish thing for money.”

36. Brilliant.
    The threat of having to endure a Ryan Air flight is bound to deter most illegal immigrants.