Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary dubbed Brexit an “abject failure” as airport chaos continued to have a ruinous impact on the aviation industry.
Britons have been warned to brace for a summer of “massive disruption” with images appearing to show the country’s main travel hubs are already in the eye of the storm.
Pictures of piles of bags cordoned off by ground staff at Heathrow terminal 2 came to light on Sunday, while passengers are being forced to sleep on the floor at Manchester and Stansted airports.
The current airport chaos, which has seen flight delays and cancellations, is “completely to do with Brexit”, the boss of Ryanair airline said earlier this week.
O’Leary said Brexit has been an “abject failure” and claimed labour shortages were behind the disruption at UK airports – adding: “This government couldn’t run a sweet shop.”
It came in response to remarks made by transport secretary Grant Shapps, who denied Brexit was to blame for ongoing travel woes, instead accusing airlines of “seriously overselling” flights since the Covid pandemic.
Asked about the minister’s comments, the outspoken Ryanair chief executive told Sky News: “It’s completely to do with Brexit. A lot of these pinch points would be solved very quickly if we could bring in European workers.
“We are hide-bound and hamstrung by a government so desperate to show Brexit has been a success, when it’s been an abject failure. It won’t allow us to bring in EU workers to do these jobs.”
He added: “If we can’t attract people to do those jobs, like baggage handling like security at the airports we’re going to have to bring in workers from Ireland or the continent to do them – and Brexit is one of the big bugbears in the system.”
O’Leary warned that delays and cancellations will continue “right throughout the summer” as airports suffer amid staff shortages.
He pointed to a lack of staff across air traffic control, baggage handling and security.
The airline boss said passengers should brace for a “less than satisfactory experience”, with flight delays due to last across the peak season and some airlines cancelling between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of flights.
Related: ‘Hot to the touch’: Tragedy as the bodies of 46 migrants found in lorry trailer in southern Texas