Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, has expressed deep concern over Russian drones flying near European airports, accusing the European Union of failing to safeguard air traffic and urging immediate action to neutralize the drones.
“Why aren’t we shooting down these drones?” O’Leary said in an interview with Politico, referring to recent drone incidents at European airports, including Copenhagen.
Alarming Drone Incidents Across Europe
O’Leary highlighted that just three weeks ago, drones flew over Poland, forcing airport closures for four hours, while last week, Danish airports were suspended for around two hours. He described the situation as “alarming” and called for urgent measures.
However, O’Leary cautioned that building a “drone wall” is not an effective solution, noting that “Russians could launch drones even from inside Poland.”
Criticism of European Leadership
The Ryanair CEO also criticized European leaders for their passive approach to security threats.
“I have no confidence in European leaders sitting around drinking tea and eating biscuits. If they cannot protect flights over France, what chance do we have against Russia?”
O’Leary went further, criticizing European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling her “ineffective” and demanding her resignation.
Ryanair’s warning adds to growing concerns across Europe about the rising threat of Russian drones, highlighting the urgent need for robust air defense systems and coordinated European response measures.
