Ryanair boss warns British flights could be barred from Europe after Brexit
Michael O'Leary said flights between the UK and EU might be suspended in March 2019 if the UK government opts for a hard divorce
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has warned that all flights between the UK and Europe could suddenly be suspended in March 2019 if the UK government opts for a "cliff-edge" Brexit.
The businessman said the current open skies arrangement that we have with EU countries centres on recognising the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, which Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain would no longer be subject to.
He thinks that it will take longer than the two-year deadline after Article 50 is triggered to make new agreements with European countries over air space, which would leave it in a no man's land situation.
He said: "In the airline industry we could be heading for a very difficult divorce with Europe.
"There is a possibility, unlikely, but nevertheless a possibility that there may be no flights between the UK and Europe in March 2019 if the UK walks off this cliff that they seem determined to walk off."
The airline owner also said that he would not be creating any more pilot or cabin crew posts, or increasing the amount of planes in the UK in the near future because of uncertainties over Brexit.
He said new routes announced in Scotland on Thursday would use planes based elsewhere in Europe and would move to other European countries in the event of a hard Brexit.
Mr O'Leary accused the UK Government of being clueless over Brexit and said that he hoped that the UK would stay in the EU.
He said: "Brexit - no exit plan by the UK Government. I don't think they have a clue what they are engaged in.
"I've had a number of meetings in London in recent weeks where they are going to do a great deal for Britain, and then I go to Frankfurt and Brussels and Paris where they are determined to do Britain down, and I fear they will.
"We have to recognise the will of the the people, they did vote in a referendum, however they were fundamentally misled into believing they could leave Europe and nothing would change.
"Everything is going to change, and probably for the worse."