Ryanair boss calls for ‘more common sense’ in implementing post-Brexit immigration rules
Ryanair’s boss Michael O’Leary has called for “a bit more” of common sense on the government’s side when implementing post-Brexit immigration rules.
The Irish executive urged transport secretary Grant Shapps to allow EU workers to work in the UK and ease the ongoing travel chaos.
“We have this bizarre situation at the moment that in the UK I can get visas to bring Moroccans to come in and work as cabin crew,” he said.
“But I can’t get visas for Portuguese or Italians or Slovakian youngsters.
“We just need a bit of more common sense and a practical approach to how we implement Brexit.”
O’Leary’s comments come on the heels of airlines and airports reducing the number of flights to ensure smoother operations after a combination of increased passenger demand and labour shortages led to major travel disruption.
Despite pleas, the government is unlikely to make an exception for the aviation sector, the Telegraph first reported.
Aviation minister Robert Courts said last month Brexit didn’t contribute to the labour shortages.
Courts argued the lack of workforce was a global issue, affecting the UK as well as continental Europe and the US.
“If there were aviation workers spare on the continent of Europe, you’d expect them to be [working] at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and solve the [hub’s disruption] issues but that isn’t happening,” he told the BEIS committee in mid-June.