Ryanair CEO Sparks Controversy: "We'll Encourage Staff to Catch Passengers With Oversized Luggage"

Ryanair's strict baggage policy. If you thought ground crew were looking for passengers with oversized trolley bags, you might not have been mistaken.

The CEO of Ryanair, a low-cost giant, stands at the forefront of a new media and aviation controversy, stating in an interview with the Irish television network RTE (Ryanair's home country): "If the way to prevent oversized luggage is through staff supervision, I will continue to encourage employees to check the sizes of bags, and I will not apologize for this."

Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK

"What annoys our passengers the most are those one or two passengers who do not comply with our baggage rules. 99.9% of passengers follow the rules - whether it's bags that fit under the seat in front of them or standard-sized trolleys. "People who break our rules will pay for their luggage and continue to pay until they comply with our rules," said the CEO.

When asked why sometimes a trolley is accepted on one leg of the journey but not the return, O'Leary said: "The bag doesn't grow legs. The only thing is that you probably managed to slip through on one leg of the trip and got caught on the return with a too large trolley." O'Leary concluded by saying, "Comply with the rules; we will put an end to this phenomenon."

Photo: Ryanair

As remembered, Ryanair planned to resume flights to Israel in June but did not do so due to the conflict with Iran and plans to return only at the end of October 2025. The CEO was quoted saying his patience with the geopolitical situation in the Middle East is wearing thin.

Now, with the return to normalcy in Israel, the return of many international airlines to Ben Gurion Airport, and the opening of Terminal 1 at the beginning of the next month, it will be interesting to see if the company will shorten its suspension of flights to the country.