Ryanair has quit a new UK Aviation Council just six months after the group held its first meeting because the British government has failed to implement a slew of demands tabled by the Irish low-cost airline.
The council was created in February to bring various aviation stakeholders together to advise on a ten-year plan to grow and modernise the British aviation sector. It’s members include various airlines, including British Airways, as well as government departments, airports and air traffic control.
On Tuesday, at only the third meeting of the newly-created council, Ryanair quit the group saying it was just a ‘talking shop’ which “delivers no benefits, no reform and no change for UK aviation or UK passengers.”
Ryanair had wanted the British government to implement five ‘practical measures’ to improve the aviation sector, including lowering visa costs, hiring more immigration staff and investing in air traffic control.
The airline had also called on the government to reintroduce temporary airside staff passes in order to avoid a repeat of airport chaos that plagued the industry last summer due to lengthy criminal record background checks on new employees.
“The UK Aviation Council has delivered no action whatsoever over the past 6 months on any of these achievable goals,” the airline slammed late on Tuesday following the council’s third meeting.
“Ryanair regrettably concludes that this UK Aviation Council is a useless talking shop, which has failed to deliver any action or practical measures to improve UK aviation,” a statement from the airline continued.
Ryanair’s outspoken CEO Michael O’Leary bluntly commented: “We don’t have time to waste meeting with an ineffective industry Council, which doesn’t/hasn’t delivered any practical change or reform”.
