Michael O'Leary blasts Government's ‘smoke and mirrors' infrastructure plans while growth capped at Dublin Airport
He questioned what he said will be 'smoke and mirrors' infrastructure plans from 'a government that wastes money'.
The Government is expected to announce a €100bn infrastructure investment plan on Tuesday.
"Here is infrastructure that is built and paid for that they won't allow us to use,' Michael O'Leary said.
The Ryanair CEO said the coalition parties at promised urgent action to address the 2007 cap that restricts passenger numbers to 32 million but had failed to take any action.
He accused the Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien, who is reported to be consulting the attorney general on possible actions of 'dither, delay and indecision'.
In the meantime Ryanair's growth is being moved to markets including Poland, he said.
Meanwhile, Ryanair itself reported figures on Monday that showed net income more than doubled in the first three months of its new financial year to €820m. That was more than double the €360m in the same period last year but the numbers are flattered by a number of factors including the fall of Easter and big hit Ryanair took in 2025 after effectively blocking via unapproved online travel agents. The latest results are still up 24pc versus the same period in 2024, a better comparison, according to Michael O'Leary.
That increase reflects a recovery in fares to the 2024 level combined with growth: with 4pc traffic growth, unit revenue per passenger up 15pc and unit costs up just 1pc.
Despite volatile energy prices Ryanair's fuel hedging provided a significant cushion.
Future growth prospects also improved with delivery of the last 29 long delayed Boeing 'Gamechanger' aircraft now expected by the end of this year for service in the summer of 2026 while the manufacturer's new 737 Max 10 model is expected to be certified later this year with the first 15 of those jets due to Ryanair in spring 2027.
Ryanair has reduced the number of engineers it had posted to monitor activity in Seattle.
"(Boeing's) Kelly Ortberg and Stephanie Pope are doing a great job,' Michael O'Leary said.
Ryanair plans to add 300 of Boeing's mosr fuel-efficient Max 10 by 2034.
He said said one positive of the Trump administration was a more supportive regulatory environment for manufacturers in the US that could benefit Boeing.
On tariffs he said he does not expect new levies to be imposed in either direction on aircraft between the US and EU it would be Boeing, not Ryanair, that will pay.
'(If it happens) Boeing pays the tariffs,' he said.
Meanwhile, he predicted a further delay when the new August 1st deadline for an EU-US trade deal falls due.
"We expect Trump will chicken out again,' he said.
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