O'Leary in today's papers

[jb.murdstone]

Quote - "I don't give a ****e if nobody likes me. I am not a cloud bunny. I am not an aerosexual, I don't like airplanes. I never wanted to be a pilot like those other goons who populate the air industry. They started off as wee idiots who got big (sic) erections looking at planes in the sky. I'm not like that. Most chief executives got into this business because they wanted to travel for a living. Not me. I wanted to work"

Sounds like all the comments on these forums have finally got to our Mikey, otherwise he would have just said he wanted to be as good and honest, caring businessman as his father.:E

[InFinRetirement]

But he IS like that! And just like his father who would not have otherwise given him a penny.

Pathetic crap really! :yuk:

[BikerMark]

...and Father Jack often shouts it.

GOB****E!

:ok:

[Tony_EM]

Can't help feeling that he is to commercial aviation what Cruella De Ville was to the fur trade. I know it's probably unfair and just the personal dogma of an aviation lover, but I claim the right to be unreasonably biased about a few things in life, my kids and aviation being two of them.

"Aerosexual", mmmmm, I'll tentatively claim to have coined that phrase about 10 years ago to specifically describe those with little black books full of a/c reg's.

Edit; No no, it was 'aerophile', I'll drop the lawsuit.

[Yarpy]

>>I don't like airplanes.<<

Interesting attitude.

Imagine a hospital where the chief executive didn't like patients.

[Idunno]

Funny, isn't it, how it's becoming a badge of honour among airline executives to vehemently deny any interest in 'airplanes'.

Willy Walsh just can't wait in any 'personal' interview to explain that he became a pilot 'by accident' and has absolutely no interest in it...boring business...etc etc.

The subtext is glaringly obvious...it's just another way to drag down the prestige the job of flying once had. There are two agendas at the heart of that...first, by making the job appear 'cheap' you can wear down the natural expectation pilots (and the public) have that it is a well paid occupation...and second, no Low Cost CEO (except perhaps Kelleher) can be seen to be remotely sentimental about the 'romance of flying' or to in any way 'respect' the workers who handle the aircraft. That would be a sign of weakness to his fellow bean counters, thus making him suspect and potentially disposable.

While I can't be arsed about O'Learys opinions, I do find it sickening to hear an ex pilot like Walsh try to 'out-hate' O'Leary every time he gets on the TV.

[eastern wiseguy]

All sounds perfectly reasonable...the guy is a beancounter...he does not NEED to "like" aeroplanes...all he needs to know is how the can squeeze the maximum profit out of whatever he does...beit transport people across Europe or flog oranges.

[Simtech]

>>>Imagine a hospital where the chief executive didn't like patients.<<<


Like most (if not all) NHS hospitals perhaps? The Chief Executives would have less trouble meeting their government-defined targets without all those awful ill people.

Or am I just being cynical?

[FlyingV]

"Imagine a hospital where the chief executive didn't like patients"

Surely a better comparison would be a chief executive who doesn't like large buildings full of sick people.

Although I'm sure MO'L doesn't think much of his customers either.

[carlos vandango]

who cares? He likes being controversial because he classes it as free advertising. He doesn't need to like pilots because there are plenty of them around. Pilots don't need to like working for him because they get paid enough to wear it. I'm sure some of his statements will come back to haunt him eventually. May take a while though

[Judge and Jury]

If an enough of Joe public read that I'm sure it could be the start of an other Ratners.

[dada]

i think ryanair have done great things for jo public and in particular cheap fares. the first time i saw mol on tv i was very disappointed to see he was so abrasive. is it really necessary to be so nasty ?

[Jet II]

Why the hell should he have to 'like airplanes'?

Aviation is just another public transport system - no more, no less. It is no different from running a bus or train company.

O'leary is just a businessman who is very good at his primary purpose - make profits for his company. If there were more senior exec's in the aviation industry who were like him, rather than those with this 'romance of flying' tosh, then we may not be in the **** we are in now.

[brakedwell]

It used to be said by the powers that be in the RAF: "Aeroplanes are a troublesome nuisance." O'Leary is the same sort of Thing!

[ATC Watcher]

Who was that Eastern airlines guy who once said "The airline industry will better far better off if we did not have the pilots ? "

[st.elmo]

Jet 11,

You have hit the nail on the head and said the very thing i was going to post.

Mick O'Leary gets the same type of stick which Richard Branson receives, all because they are willing to take the so called risks which others consider toooooooo risky.

They have opened up the way for others to follow their lead. Yet it took years for carriers to realise that there is an alternative to the high prices and frills.

In order to take on the larger giants you have to be brash and occasionaly give it loads. If the papers want to write about you and give you free publicity, well then you go for it.

Long may it all last.

Does the owner of your local taxi firm all have to love cars and driving in order to do a good job or be accepted????????

[Hamrah]

Hmmm

Willy Walsh just can't wait in any 'personal' interview to explain that he became a pilot 'by accident' and has absolutely no interest in it...boring business...etc etc.

Strange....he attended the same interview as me, the same assessments as me , flew on the same Aer Lingus flight as me to Oxford to do his training. So I can't believe it all happened " by accident".

I suspect this is more to do with his need (in his new job) to distance himself from the pilot community while he is actively involved in Industrial Relations issues.


H

[LGS6753]

MOL is preparing for the day he doesn't (want to) run FR.
A nice Government sinecure, or something with huge power and no responsibility.
If he admits to being in love with aeroplanes, the powers that be will not think he's interested in anything else.
Why do you think Branson went in for 'The People's Lottery'? To get a gong, why else?

[Idunno]

Hi Hamrah.

He never fails to claim it was accidental in so much as he only applied for the cadet job to 'gain interview experience' (no doubt while waiting for the chance to apply for his preferred post as CEO of the company). He claims to have been amused to be later called up as he never gave it a second thought! And there you were, busting a gut at the same interview just hoping for a start.

He maintains that he 'never had the slightest interest in flying' and only 'accepted' the job offer because it was a wet weekend and he didn't have anything else planned (yawn).

Maybe you know different? Go on...tell us he's a bare faced liar.

What a pity for some keen young wannabe, that Willy didn't go off and be a beancounter as was his true calling, and leave the flying to some youngster who would truly appreciate the chance to do something they loved.

I've already pointed out that he wants to distance himself from his piloting past because he'd rather be seen as a manager now, the money's better there and Our Wully knows where his breads buttered.

But would I be right in guessing you might have certain sympathies with him, being an ex classmate of his then? Especially given that you preceeded him down the management road...although I believe you still retain a foot in the piloting camp. :eek:
That must be a blight on your career as far as some of your earthbound management colleagues are concerned, eh?
I can respect you for it though. ;)

O'Leary is what he is, and he doesn't need to peddle his credibility. I doubt if anyone gives a toss if he likes 'airplanes'...who cares...the only thing remotely remarkable about that is how he still managed to succeed in the aviation business without knowing or caring about a central element of his product! Strange, but true.

Willy however is tainted by the Mark Of Cain...an ex pilot!
How he doth protest!
Methinks he doth protest too much!!

So, you still a pal of Willys? I heard you airline management types have a little inner circle where you swop notes on unruly pilots etc etc. Go on...spill the beans. Got any funny handshakes to teach us? :E

[Jetset320]

I say bring back Sir Freddie!

[sky9]

He doesn't appear to like passengers either :D Although he is apparently very fond of his Aberdeen Angus cattle. They of course are full of Bull sh1t.

[Jet II]

the only thing remotely remarkable about that is how he still managed to succeed in the aviation business without knowing or caring about a central element of his product!

I still can't quite see why the CEO of an airline (or any company for that matter) should have the slightest interest/love in something that at the end of the day is just another item on the balance sheet along with paperclips.

Do all CEO's of bus companies have a strange interest in Busses? or CEO's in mousetrap companies know the ins and outs of mousetrap design????:confused:

[maxalt]

JetII, I guess you missed the program on CH4 about Coke the other night?

In the mid seventies a bunch of managers on the board of Coke came up with the idea of changing the taste to better compete with Pepsi. The result...New Coke...was a complete and utter flop. After toughing it out in the face of public protest for about six months, they finally backed down and returned 'Classic Coke' to the shelves. 'New Coke' died a slow death and finally dissapeared from the shelves.

Those managers were operating under the same arrogant delusion that O'Leary aims to push on you...that it doesn't matter about the nuts and bolts (or taste of the sugar water) because "I can sell anything, to anyone, at any time".

Aircraft are rather more complex beasts than Mousetraps, or Oranges, or even Sugar Water. I believe MOL has no interest in aircraft PER SE, however he needs to know what they are capable of in order to do his job. For instance, how did he know how long it takes to go from Stansted to Rome? How does he know how long it takes to turn an aircraft around? How does he know how to make it happen? How does he know the range capabilities of his 'aero-thingies'. What about maintenance regimes? And a million other important details.

There are a million things about operating in this business that a CEO (starting up from scratch!) needs to know or understand. Yes of course he has good backup, good advice, but he still needs to understand the constituent elements in order to lead from the front. Otherwise, who really made FR great? The staff and advisors? Lets do away with Michael then!

I believe MOL knows his aero-thingies very well indeed. I believe he does his homework. He may not have to like his homework...but he does it anyhow, and very well too. The fact that he's spent time loading bags and checking in the passengers tells me more about MOL's interest in the nuts and bolts than all the huffing and bluster in a hundred press releases. He'd fly the bloody things too if they let him.

[AJ]

More marketing/exposure for Ryanair...

[Yarpy]

* * * I suspect this is more to do with his need (in his new job) to distance himself from the pilot community while he is actively involved in Industrial Relations issues. * * *

That's alright Mr Hamrah but it is not a particularly nice attitude is it?

Why should he want to distance himself from the pilot community at all?

Pilots should care for fellow aviators and act in their best interests at all times. It is, after all, our role in the cockpit.

Please explain.

[Idunno]

He's conferring with Mick and Willy. Please standby.:p

[driverwannabe]

People here keep saying that MOL has done alot for avaition.....but was it him or was it South West originally? Remember...."The lack of originality is a sure sign of a genius!" (Sorry Mick did not mean to take the wind out of your sail!):E

[Jules Meister]

As someone who isn'y a pilot it's very interesting to watch all the insecure pilots line up to take shots at MOL....

He leads a company that provides well needed jobs for people from all walks of life - pilots et al

He gets buckets loads of free PR from delivering interviews and smart comments like that and he uses these interviews remarkably well - I get the feeling the interviewer was the one feeling used afterwards!!

Read the whole interview - if you were the CEO of the PostIt company, I'd be getting worried!!

Mind you - as MOL is keen to mention "I get paid lots of money so I take all the s**t that's thrown at me - it's my job and I'm happy with it.

Begrudgers beware.

[ATC Watcher]

Jules, would you have a link or a reference for that complete interview ? I would really like to read it and compare what has been said about it and the real stuff.

[GROUNDSTAR]

O'Leary and his little empire represents yet another triumph for mediocrity!