In a surprising turn of events, Michael O'Leary, the chairman of Ryanair, found himself on the receiving end of cream pies thrown by eco-activists while preparing to address the media in
Brussels today.
O'Leary, aged 62, was in the Belgian capital to participate in a press conference and present a petition advocating for the protection of overflights in Europe. This action coincided with news that Ryanair pilots based in Belgium had declared a strike.
As O'Leary conducted an interview, accompanied by a cardboard cut-out of European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, a woman dressed in black approached him and smacked a cream pie into his face. O'Leary instinctively moved away and lowered his head to avoid further confrontation. A second woman then seized the opportunity to apply another layer of cream on the back of his neck.
The eco-activists cheered, exclaiming, "Welcome to Belgium!" as they made their hasty exit. O'Leary took the incident in stride, responding with humor, saying, "Well done!"
Evidently unfazed by the ordeal, O'Leary later quipped, "I have never had such a warm welcome. Unfortunately, it was environmentalists, and the cream was artificial. I invite passengers to come to Ireland where the cream is better!"
Ryanair's official feed on the platform previously known as Twitter, now referred to as X, later humorously stated that O'Leary had received a "warm welcome in Brussels," attributing it to the passengers' joy regarding their routes and the petition.
Pilots employed by Ryanair at Charleroi airport in Belgium had announced a strike scheduled for September 14-15. These dates were specifically chosen to coincide with a general meeting of Ryanair shareholders. The pilots' demands include ending the company's alleged coercion related to negotiating a new collective work agreement and the cessation of ongoing individual legal proceedings.
Additionally, they call for strict adherence to Belgian law, the settlement of arrears, and negotiations without any prerequisites.
This incident is the latest development in an ongoing saga where Ryanair engaged in a battle with the European Commission to safeguard overflights from potential cancellations. In May, O'Leary delivered a petition with over 1.1 million passenger signatures to von der Leyen's office, urging the European Commission to protect overflights from disruptions during air traffic controller strikes.
Ryanair contended that it had been compelled to disproportionately cancel thousands of overflights in countries like Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK, and Ireland due to what it attributed to European aviation authorities prioritizing short-haul and domestic flights during strike periods while neglecting international travelers.
Ryanair's plea sought to establish consistent overflight protections across all EU member states, similar to those already in place in some countries.
Notably, in a separate incident, O'Leary had criticized National Air Traffic Services (NATS) for a system malfunction that resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights. NATS acknowledged that the issue was related to "flight data" but did not provide further details regarding the responsible party. O'Leary expressed frustration over the disruption caused by the system crash.
The cream pie incident in Brussels is among several recent actions by climate activists. Another group, Fossil Free London, recently staged a protest on Westminster Bridge, lighting flares and displaying banners to oppose further development of the Rosebank oil field. This demonstration coincided with the return of MPs to Parliament after the summer recess, reflecting concerns about government support for fossil fuel projects. Photo by World Travel & Tourism Council, Wikimedia commons.