# Michael O'Leary
This month
March 2023
# Racing
Davy Russell: ‘I have about as much respect for Michael O’Leary’s opinion as he has for my opinion’
The star jockey returned to the saddle in January for trainer Gordon Elliott following Jack Kennedy’s injury.
Last year
2022
# Back on the Horse
Michael O'Leary enjoys ideal flying visit to Leopardstown
Owner goes racing for the first time in 2022 and sees Conflated run away with the feature Savills Chase.
# Ryanair
Ryanair returns to profit and doesn't expect to be impacted by cost-of-living crisis
Michael O’Leary said concerns about rising consumer price inflation on Ryanair’s business model ‘have been greatly exaggerated’.
# Air Travel
Ryanair's €10 fares to disappear due to rising fuel prices, says O'Leary
Michael O’Leary said he expected the airline’s average fare to rise by about €10 over the next five years.
# TAKE OFF
Michael O'Leary hits out at 'unprecedented handling delays' amid Ryanair summer recovery
The airline hit profits of €170 million for the three months to June.
# Michigan
Maguire and Reid left with work to do as Swedish duo share lead at LPGA team tournament
The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational is a two-player team tournament being held in Michigan.
# summer of discontent
Ryanair boss warns flight woes to continue 'right throughout the summer'
Michael O’Leary said passengers should brace for a “less than satisfactory experience” this summer.
# Afrikaans test
Ryanair scraps controversial South Africa test as O’Leary admits ‘it doesn’t make sense’
The test in Afrikaans caused outrage in South Africa.
# Turbulent Times
Ryanair lost €355 million last year amid 'fragile' recovery in air travel from the pandemic
The low-cost airline said it hopes to return to profitability in the current financial year,
All time
# you gotta roll with it
Tiger Roll pencilled in for Cheltenham reappearance on Sunday
Cross country glory remains the goal for dual National winner.
# Takeoff
Ryanair pumps €50 million into new Dublin training centre as the airline plots its recovery
The budget carrier is aiming to hire 5,000 new workers, group chief executive Michael O’Leary said.
# Flying High
Ryanair boss warns of ‘dramatically higher’ air fares next summer
Michael O’Leary said today that huge demand for holidays would coincide with fewer flights next year.
# Belarus
Diversion of Ryanair flight to Belarus breached ‘all international aviation rules’, O'Leary says
The plane changed course to head for the Belarus capital Minsk escorted by a MiG fighter jet.
# Minsk
Michael O'Leary says diversion of Ryanair plane was 'state-sponsored hijacking'
O’Leary also said it appears there were some KGB agents on board the flight.
# Conor O'Dwyer
'Michael just said, 'I'm paying Mouse to train him, I'm paying you to ride him, it's yere decision'
Conor O’Dwyer only won four races as a jockey at Cheltenham. Two Gold Cup and two Champion Hurdles made for an impressive strike rate though.
# Controversy
Michael O’Leary will ‘continue to support’ trainer Gordon Elliott despite ‘unacceptable’ photograph
Betfair, however, has severed ties with Elliott after he was photographed sitting on a dead horse.
# Travel
Ryanair says it owes no money to travel agents, denies claims that airline is causing refund 'logjam'
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said last week that there is no backlog and all refunds have been issued.
# Turbulent Times
'To say everything is refunded is not true': Travel agents and Ryanair customers take aim at O'Leary over remarks
The Commission for Aviation Regulation says that 80% of complaints relating to airline refunds have been resolved.
# Ryanair
'A major blow': Shannon and Cork airport bosses call for more government support after Ryanair base closures
Calls for rapid airport testing have been backed by the chair of Dáil Covid Committee.
# aviation industry
Proposed EU traffic light system for air travel 'is still a bit up in the air', says Tánaiste
Varadkar said he is worried about Cork and Shannon airports bouncing back from Covid.
# debunked
Debunked: Do European air travel guidelines show there is no need to quarantine visitors from overseas?
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary made a number of claims about Covid-19 and air travel on radio this week.
# Ryanair
CMO dismisses O'Leary claim that quarantine for overseas visitors has 'no basis in science or health'
Michael O’Leary called for the government to halt the new regulation.
# social distancing
'An idiotic idea': Michael O'Leary says Ryanair won't return to flying if middle seats must be left empty
The Ryanair Executive laid out plans for the airline’s recovery including plans to run 40% of flights in July.
# Coronavirus
Ryanair removes flight change fee, says it expects the grounding of most of its fleet in Europe
The airline expects most of its planes to be grounded in 7-10 days.
# Michael O'Leary
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary slammed for ‘abhorrent’ remarks on Muslims
The businessman said bombers ‘will generally be males of a Muslim persuasion’.
# Decision time
Tiger Roll '50-50' to attempt historic Grand National treble as handicap weights announced
Two-timer winner handed top weight of 11st 10lbs ahead of Aintree showpiece.
# tell us why
'Tax holiday': Ryanair and O'Leary fuming at British government for bailing out airline Flybe
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said the rescue package for Flybe amounted to “illegal State aid”.
# column
Johnny Ward: Gordon Elliott remains one of Irish racing's most glaring enigmas
‘He is the messer at the bar who wants the night to continue, yet there is no chance whatsoever of him being late for work at the morning.’
# High Flyer
Bonus scheme of up to €99m for Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary narrowly approved
In the 12 months to the end of March 2019, O’Leary’s basic salary was €1.06 million.
# contract dispute
Ryanair is suing outgoing second-in-command Peter Bellew
The Meath native, once tipped to become Michael O’Leary’s replacement, is moving to rival EasyJet.
# Ryanair
'Unavoidable at this time': Ryanair says up to 900 jobs at risk
CEO Michael O’Leary told staff about the potential job losses in a video message this week.
# Flying High
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary earned almost €10,000 a day in the past year
In the 12 months to March 2019, O’Leary pay package totalled €3.38 million.
# stepping back
'Loss of Michael O'Leary's financial investment will be felt across the board' - Ruby Walsh
It was announced yesterday that operations at the Gigginstown House Stud are to be brought to a halt.
# Final Call
Michael O'Leary stuns jump racing world with plan to wind down Gigginstown operation
The scaling back policy will will take place over the next few years.
# tourism and transport
Dear commissioner... The secret letters revealing Ryanair's friction with EU bureaucrats
Unpublished correspondence shows that Michael O’Leary is just as amusing in private as he is in public.
# fora
Ryanair asked the EU to use its 'influential voice' to pressure Paschal Donohoe in a tax law dispute
The airline had launched a High Court challenge relating to tax laws for Europe-based workers.
# fora
Ryanair asked the EU to use its 'influential voice' to pressure Paschal Donohoe in a tax law dispute
The airline had launched a High Court challenge relating to tax laws for Europe-based workers.
# Airline Overhaul
Ryanair reports €20 million loss in third quarter of 2018
The airline has announced that CEO Michael O’Leary will stay at the helm until at least 2024.
# column
Cooper has got talent and time on his side to grasp second chance
The 26-year-old has had to deal with losing the Gigginstown job but retirements will leave a gap to fill and he’s as good as anyone else left, writes Johnny Ward.
