O'Leary in today's papers
 

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

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

Pathetic crap really! :yuk:

The Irish have a word for it...
 

...and Father Jack often shouts it.

GOB****E!

:ok:

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.

>>I don't like airplanes.<<

Interesting attitude.

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

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.

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.

>>>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?

"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.

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

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

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 ?

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.

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!

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

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????????

Hmmm

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

He's writing his CV
 

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?

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

I say bring back Sir Freddie!