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ARCHIVED - Ryanair wants to draft in the army to quell airport chaos
The budget airline’s boss denied claims that carriers are overselling flights to Spain and the rest of Europe
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has suggested drafting in “defence personnel with experiencing providing security” to under-pressure UK airports for the next “three to four months” in an attempt to contain the disruption caused by hundreds of cancelled flights and enormous delays.
Mr O’Leary said: “Bringing in the army, which they do at many other European airports, would, at a stroke, relieve the pressure on airport security and would mean that people have a much better experience.”
At a meeting with aviation leaders on Wednesday June 1, the UK’s transport secretary Grant Shapps urged carriers to solve their staffing issues before the summer season hits in earnest. He also accused airlines of overselling seats, leaving hundreds of would-be holidaymakers in the lurch over the last Bank Holiday weekend, something the Ryanair chief strenuously denies.
He insisted that no carrier “is going to deliberately sell a flight that they can’t crew or operate”, instead blaming the cancellations on last-minute staff shortages.
He added: “Army personnel, defence personnel who are good at providing security could relieve the pressure. And that would be something useful that this government could do instead of blaming the airports or the airlines, which doesn’t solve anything.
“We are going to have pinch points at the UK airports right through to the end of this summer until the kids go back to school in September.
“And I believe that the best way of solving these pinch points is to deploy military personnel who are security trained and who could relieve the pressure on airport security and if you relieve the pressure in airport security, you get rid of the queues.”
Cabin and security crew shortages aren’t the only pinch point Mr O’ Leary is facing at the moment. No fewer than seven unions in Spain and Europe representing Ryanair baggage handlers have threatened a huge summer strike if wages and working conditions aren’t improved, and just this week handlers at Stansted refused a pay deal, bringing them one step closer to work stoppages.
However, it looks like Ryanair’s request will go unanswered, as the Department for Transport confirmed that there are “no plans to use the army at airports”.
“It is for operators to ensure airports and airlines are appropriately staffed,” the department concluded.
Image: Archive
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