It's a bit more complicated that 'just' making Ryanair more user-friendly. Whether MOL said so at the shareholders meeting I don't know - he probably did - but a number of things have come together to reduce Ryanair's profits: there is now Europe-wide competition from High Speed Trains - something he did foresee; fuel prices are going through the roof - and 45 percent of Ryanair's costs go on fuel; their aircraft are ageing - higher maintenance costs; and finally Ryanair's real ticket prices are beginning to approach those of its low cost competitors. Ryanair are still making a respectable profit but shareholders are notoriously fickle about these things and will jump ship if a whiff of a drop in profits is in the air. It'll be some years before we've seen the last of Ryanair though. MOL must be thinking of retirement - he's a wealthy man after all - but it is clear that he likes a challenge, and to about-turn the Ryanair image and say 'sucks boo to you, of course we can become customer-friendly' must tickle him no end. He is, first and foremost, a very shrewd entertainer. Still, he may have had enough. We shall see. Just to be straight, I have no problem with Ryanair and use then regularly. He once said that Ryanair is just a bus serves, and that's what it is - a very efficient and safe one, and I have no problem with that at all. No - I don't work for them and sympathise with the poor work culture, but there is still enough work out there for those who don't like it to walk - as I'm sure many do.
Last edited by Sunnyjohn; 22nd Sep 2013 at 23:49.
Reason: typo