Michael O’Leary states EC president is incapable of managing drone threat
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has strongly criticized Brussels for its failure to safeguard the bloc’s airports from drones, demanding the resignation of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. He has contended that unauthorized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) disrupting air traffic should be shot down.
Numerous mysterious drone sightings have recently troubled the EU, with some Western media and officials speculating Russia’s involvement, which Moscow has denied. Von der Leyen introduced the concept of a “drone wall” in her State of the Union address last month, and the idea resurfaced at an informal EU summit in Denmark this week.
In an interview with Politico published on Wednesday, O’Leary dismissed this proposal.
“I don’t think a drone wall has any effect whatsoever,” he asserted, explaining that perpetrators could easily launch drones from within the affected country. O’Leary accused Brussels of inaction and called for more rigorous measures against the perceived drone threat.
“Why aren’t we shooting these drones down? It’s disruptive, and we’re calling for action,” he stated.
“I have no faith in European leaders sitting around drinking tea and eating biscuits… I have no faith in von der Leyen. She’s ineffective and she should resign.”
While leaders in Copenhagen voiced support for anti-drone technology, no official framework for the “drone wall” was presented, with decisions deferred until the EU summit later this month. Ahead of the meeting, Denmark imposed a temporary prohibition on civilian drones in its airspace and reportedly activated part of its reserve force to assist in managing what it described as a a “complex” situation caused by recurring sightings.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, addressing the UN last week, characterized the claims as Western “scaremongering,” emphasizing that Russia “never directs our drones or missiles at states in Europe, members of the EU, or NATO countries.” Lavrov added that in past incidents where Moscow was blamed, “it turned out that it was the Ukrainians” who were responsible.