The coronavirus crisis has hit the aviation industry particularly hard. For many weeks, many airplanes have been left unused on the ground. But Ryanair “is likely to survive significantly longer than any other airline”, says the CEO of Ryanair, Michael O’Leary.

“We went into this crisis with almost four billion euros in cash on our balance sheet. Even if we do not have sales revenue by the end of the year, we will still have enough money, especially since support measures such as part-time benefits have been introduced in most EU countries”, said Michael O’Leary.

At the same time, he expects there will be a number of other airlines that will not survive until then. The manager excludes the use of government assistance from Ryanair and criticizes rival companies such as Lufthansa for doing so. “I think airlines like Lufthansa and Air France are using the COVID-19 crisis to enrich themselves with incredibly high sums from their countries”, said Michael O’Leary.

“It is important that all support is transparent and accessible to all airlines. The part-time benefit system is a good measure. It is not entirely clear to me why airlines would need state aid if they can use this measure. The fleets of all airlines are grounded. And if states then pay the salaries of employees, what else do you need state aid for”, asks he.

Michael O’Leary draws particular attention to Lufthansa: the concern seeks state aid in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria, for companies that have a German owner. Austria is currently debating whether the Austrian taxpayer should support a subsidiary of a German concern.

According to the manager, air traffic will not resume before June. “But the airline’s life won’t be really normal before the summer of 2021”, said Michael O’Leary.

At the same time, the CEO of Ryanair does not expect the low-cost carriers to end: “If we are allowed to fly again, all airlines will be pressured to fill their planes”. However, he did not send good news for his employees: in Ryanair, up to 20% of jobs will be cut by winter.