Ryanair Chief Executive Issues Stark Warning Over Summer Travel Disruption
The head of Europe's largest budget airline has issued a sobering forecast for the upcoming peak travel season, predicting widespread delays and an increase in disruptive passenger incidents. Michael O'Leary, the outspoken chief executive of Ryanair, has told The Independent that he anticipates air traffic control problems will intensify significantly in the coming months, creating what he describes as "another mess" for travellers.
ATC Staff Shortages and Industrial Action Threaten Summer Schedule
O'Leary pointed to specific concerns regarding air traffic control capacity across Europe, particularly highlighting anticipated industrial action in France. "The French will start striking around May or June," he stated, adding that controllers frequently fail to report for weekend duties during the busy summer period. The Ryanair boss criticised what he termed "mythical" ATC capacity restrictions, arguing they actually represent genuine staffing shortages that European authorities should address more forcefully.
He proposed that the European Union should impose financial penalties on air traffic control providers who fail to maintain adequate staffing levels, especially for the crucial first wave of morning flights on summer weekends. "Because if you get the first wave of flights away, the rest of the day will operate pretty much on time," O'Leary explained, emphasising the knock-on effects of early delays.
Industry-Wide Concerns and Eurocontrol Warnings
This warning finds support from Eurocontrol, the Brussels-based air traffic coordinator, which has issued a briefing to air navigation service providers. The organisation stressed that special attention must be paid to the first rotation of daily flights to prevent cascading delays throughout European airspace networks. Several specific locations have been identified as potential bottlenecks, including multiple French centres, Spanish airports, and key hubs in Athens, Lisbon, and London.
IAG, the parent company of British Airways, has similarly acknowledged the persistent impact of ATC issues, referencing past disruptions including French controller strikes in July 2025. The group noted that insufficient capacity across European and UK systems has reduced resilience during industrial action or extreme weather events in recent years.
Alcohol-Fuelled Disruption and Calls for Airport Regulation
Beyond operational delays, O'Leary expressed serious concern about passenger behaviour, directly linking increased alcohol consumption to extended waits caused by ATC problems. He argued that airports represent a regulatory anomaly where licensing laws are effectively suspended, allowing bars to serve alcohol from early morning hours. "I can't understand why you allow airport bars to open and serve alcohol at five, six, seven o'clock in the morning," he remarked.
The Ryanair chief executive called for a strict limit of two alcoholic drinks per passenger while waiting in airport terminals, mirroring the airline's own onboard policy. He emphasised that airports currently "fill them full of alcohol during flight delays", leaving airlines to manage the consequences of disruptive behaviour. O'Leary stressed this is an industry-wide issue affecting all carriers, not just Ryanair.
Fare Predictions and Broader Economic Uncertainties
On pricing, O'Leary offered a relatively optimistic outlook, suggesting average airfares might increase by only 2-3% in 2026, potentially below the current inflation rate of 3.4%. He noted that falling oil prices could enable airlines to pass on savings to passengers through lower fares, though he acknowledged significant uncertainties. "A lot will depend on what Mr Trump does with tariffs and Greenland, and whether there's a trade war between Europe and the US," O'Leary commented, highlighting the broader geopolitical factors that could influence the travel industry this year.
The Ryanair website has prominently displayed daily flight delay figures attributed to ATC shortcomings for many months, underscoring the airline's ongoing focus on this issue. As the summer approaches, O'Leary's warnings paint a challenging picture for European travellers, combining operational vulnerabilities with social concerns that could define the 2026 peak travel season.
