The sky-high cost of an own goal

I’VE spent more time on board Ryanair Boeing 737-800s than many cabin crew.

I like the airline’s punctuality – I’d rather listen to that daft jingle they used to play for an ontime arrival than to faux apologies for lateness from a ‘legacy airline’.

Most of all I like Ryanair’s fares, which transformed European travel.

But the cancellations they are now making are inexcusable and blaming the aviation authorities for changing rules on pilots’ leave is beneath a businessman of the stature of Irishman Michael O’Leary, pictured.

The cost of bringing in charter aircraft to cover would have been astronomical.

The reputational damage of not doing so is incalculable.