O'Leary discusses possible Ryanair replacement
Now 64, O'Leary has no plans to leave in 2028 when his current contract ends, but he acknowledges that the final decision lies with Ryanair's board and shareholders.
'I have no desire to leave in 2028,' he said to the Irish Independent.
O'Leary's target is to lead Ryanair to 300 million passengers annually by 2034, a goal tied closely to securing a major aircraft order from Boeing, Airbus, or possibly Chinese manufacturer Comac.
Achieving that, he predicts, could see the airline delivering profits of €3–4 billion a year.
While he remains committed to leading Ryanair toward that goal, succession planning is already well underway.
He has name-checked four young leaders—all in their 30s and 40s—who he believes are well-placed to take over: Neil McMahon (operations), Jason McGuinness (commercial), Dara Brady (sales and marketing), and Tracey McCann (CFO of Ryanair DAC).
These individuals, he said, are already driving much of the airline's day-to-day performance.
O'Leary dismissed the idea of recruiting an external candidate from other major airlines, saying Ryanair's internal talent pool is far better suited to its unique business model.
'You can't exactly go to another airline like Aer Lingus, BA or Lufthansa — all of whom are much smaller than us — to find the next CEO of Ryanair.'
He emphasised that any future CEO should compete for the role but acknowledged that internal candidates would hold an advantage.
Ryanair's next generation of leadership, with an average age around 40, is already being groomed for the top roles, he said, underlining that the board annually reviews succession plans in case of any unexpected changes.
Outside of airline matters, O'Leary remained as combative as ever.
He ruled out a run for the Irish presidency, calling it an 'overpaid non-job,' and voiced frustration with the Irish government over airport passenger caps, housing, and transport policy.
'We're hampered by inexplicable government incompetence,' he said, pointing to stalled expansion plans at Dublin Airport and what he sees as political dithering.
He also weighed in on the Airbnb debate, calling for aggressive taxation to free up local housing in tourist-heavy cities, noting, 'You can't service the visitors unless local people can afford accommodation.'
After nearly four decades at the helm, O'Leary insists he still gets a 'kick' out of running the airline—albeit a different kind than when Ryanair was flying just a million passengers a year.
Today, it flies over 660,000 daily. 'I'd like to see us grow to over a million passengers a day,' he said, and with his plans firmly in place, he just might stick around long enough to make it happen.
See More: Michael O'Leary, Ryanair
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
John Whelan: Every penny of available Apple cash needed to back Irish AI development
China's big AI Summit, launched last week in Shanghai by Premier Li Qiang, kicked off just days after US president Donald Trump pledged that that the US will 'do whatever it takes to lead the world in artificial intelligence'. After unveiling a so-called AI Action Plan, he went on to declare that America is the country that started the AI race, and 'is going to win it'. In stark contrast, Premier Li Qiang headlined his AI Summit opening night by announcing that China will organize the launch of an international body to jointly develop the technology, with the goal of preventing it from becoming 'an exclusive game for a small number of countries and enterprises'. Fianna Fáil TD for Kildare North, Naoise Ó Cearúil, last month introduced the National Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026, which will establish a state body to oversee, enforce, and support the ethical, transparent, and innovative use of artificial intelligence in Ireland. Speaking at Leinster House, Deputy Ó Cearúil stated: 'This is the first time in our history that Ireland has a real chance to lead during a global technological revolution. While countries like the US, UK, and China are investing billions into AI, Ireland must act quickly to secure its own advantage. Not just as adopters, but as global contributors and leaders." The Bill dovetails much more with the China Summit theme 'Global solidarity in the AI era' than with Mr Trump's AI action plan to dominate and control the AI global growth. Beijing, by comparison, likes to say their approach democratises access to AI by offering the world the ability to freely build atop its tools, and it gives local developers an edge. The Chinese approach is much more likely to suit Ireland's entrepreneurs as they try to develop their own range of AI products for the market, obviously to markets outside the US. Trump's AI Action Plan begins, correctly, with the observation, 'Whoever has the largest AI ecosystem will set global AI standards and reap broad economic and military benefits.' The Plan has three core components: (1) addressing regulatory barriers, (2) building AI infrastructure, and (3) leading in AI diplomacy and security. Tracing through the US Action Plan is the core issue of deregulation, which sits well with the mantra of the Big Tech US firms Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon, who are currently dominating the international market for AI products. Altogether, the four companies are expected to spend more than $344bn (€296bn) for the year, with much of it going to the data centres necessary to run AI models. North American tech companies led the global AI market in 2024, capturing over 37% of the total market share. But the Asia Pacific AI market is projected to grow at the fastest growth of 20% between 2025 and 2034. The conundrum facing Ireland and its attempts to help entrepreneurs to maximise their position in the global marketplace, is the recognition that they cannot wean themselves entirely from the US but they need to focus on strategic growth areas in Europe and Asia where they can build a comparative advantage. The all-or-nothing sales pitch from Mr Trump will make it hard to find this balance and heighten concerns about our dependence on U.S. technology. And there are other issues facing Irish AI entrepreneurs, particularly costs of data to train their AI models and the associated data centres. Big Tech in owning data centres clearly have an advantage, particularly as they are funding these out of current revenue cash flow. But there are other costs, which put Irish AI companies at a disadvantage. Electricity costs are the second highest in Europe, adding high energy prices on to the required large scale computing costs. Finally, AI is trained on data, and public data resources, such as media archives and healthcare data, are incredibly valuable assets that are crucial to building a resilient, sovereign AI ecosystem. Ireland can further AI innovation by identifying and responsibly making available to AI entrepreneurs key public data resources, while preserving privacy. Every penny of the €2bn Apple money available from the EU sanctions will be needed if Ireland's entrepreneurs are to produce AI products capable of competing in international markets, with the Big Tech behemoths.
Irish Post
3 hours ago
- Irish Post
Sisk wins contract to construct Commemorative Bridge in Dublin
CONSTRUCTION firm Sisk has won the contract to deliver the Commemorate Bridge in Dublin, which will connect the Phoenix Park to the Irish National War Memorial Gardens. The bridge will provide a new ceremonial entrance to the gardens at Islandbridge, Dublin 8, which are dedicated to the memory of the 49,400 Irish soldiers who died in the First World War. The proposed stainless steel pedestrian and cycle bridge will feature boot imprints heading only in the direction of the Memorial Gardens, representing those who did not return from the conflict. Designed by ritchie*studio following a competition held by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI), the bridge will span the Liffey with minimal adverse environmental impact. The bridge will provide a new ceremonial entrance to the Irish National War Memorial Gardens (Image: Helen Cole / Failte Ireland) The Irish National War Memorial Gardens were designed in the 1930s by internationally-renowned architect, Edwin Lutyens. The Commemorative Bridge will complete Lutyen's vision for the gardens — which included plans for a bridge — while enhancing accessibility and improving the visitor experience. The unique location will improve cultural and heritage links between the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Kilmainham Gaol, the Magazine Fort and the wider Phoenix Park. Beyond the cultural and heritage impacts, the proposed bridge will represent an important piece of active travel infrastructure which will integrate with existing active travel routes in the area. Construction will commence shortly on the project, which is co-funded by the Office of Public Works and the National Transport Authority.
Agriland
4 hours ago
- Agriland
US soyabean crop enters key growth stage
The US soyabean crops are now entering a key growth stage, according to the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB). Flowering is well underway and pod setting has just started, marking the start of the key reproductive stage, where yield potential is highly dependent on favourable weather. How these crops develop over the coming weeks will influence global oilseed prices, including rapeseed in the UK and Ireland. Crop condition ratings offer an early indication of yield potential. On July 20, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) rated 68% of the US soyabean crop to be in good or excellent condition. This is slightly down from 70% the previous week, reflecting dry conditions in parts of the soyabean belt. However, the rating is in line with the same point last year and remains well above the five-year average of 60%. The US is a key player in global soyabean exports, and its harvest outlook has a direct influence on oilseed markets, including rapeseed in the UK. Although US soyabean production looks set to be lower than last year, global production is likely to rise. However, with consumption also set to rise, any potential drop in US yields could tighten global supply and lend support to prices. For UK and Irish oilseed rape growers, this could translate into stronger rapeseed values. On the other hand, favourable US weather could ease market pressure and weigh on prices. With the US soyabean pod setting now in progress, the next few weeks will be crucial for determining yield potential. Cooler-than-average temperatures are forecast across the Great Plains and western regions, which may help reduce heat stress during this important stage. Meanwhile, the overall sentiment across international grain markets remains bearish due to the ongoing harvesting campaign in the northern hemisphere. As of July 20, 73% of US winter wheat had been harvested, which was an increase on the previous week's figure of 63% and in line with the five-year average of 72%. In addition, the pace of the wheat and barley harvest in France is well ahead of last year and the five-year average for the same period. This is putting pressure on Paris grain futures. In contrast, the harvesting campaign in the Black Sea region is running behind last year's pace. As of July 18, Ukrainian farmers had harvested 4.67Mt of wheat, compared to 10.34Mt at the same point last year. Wheat exported during this harvest period is a key factor in determining global prices. However, the pace from the EU and the Black Sea region is currently below last year's figures, while US exports are in line with last year's and the five-year average.
