The ever expressive Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary compared Lufthansa (LHAB) (LHA) to a “drunken uncle at a German wedding,” as the German airline group was hoovering up state aid.
O’Leary said that Lufthansa (LHAB) (LHA) was “reeling around Europe like a drunken uncle at a German wedding hoovering up state subsidies,” when the chief executive provided an update on the low-cost carrier’s plans for the coming summer.
The airline would fly 80% of its summer schedule in July 2021, noted O’Leary, saying there was “huge pent-up demand for air travel.”
Ryanair announced that it will operate over 2,300 weekly flights across 480 routes, including 26 new ones in Summer 2021 on March 24, 2021.
“UK families can now book a well-earned summer holiday safe in the knowledge that if their plans change for any reason they can move their travel dates up to two times with a zero-change fee up until the end of October 2021,” commented the chief executive on the low-cost carrier’s summer schedule.
According to O’Leary, Ryanair should receive its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in April 2021, as it would take delivery of eight aircraft of the type in April and eight in May 2021. “We don’t see any concerns. But if there are one or two passengers who are hesitant, they can travel on the next available flight,” that is not flown by the Boeing 737 MAX.
The low-cost carrier upped its order for the aircraft by 75 units, taking its total order book to 210 aircraft in December 2020.
Previously, O’Leary compared Lufthansa (LHAB) (LHA) to a “crack cocaine junkie” as the Irish executive questioned the €9 billion ($10.6 billion) state-aid package granted to the German airline in April 2020.