O’Leary: We will charge for every possible thing we can think to charge for

Madrid – The head of Irish budget airline Ryanair has defended his plan to charge passengers to use on-board toilets, saying it would lead to “less passenger inconvenience” during flights.

Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary revealed in February the carrier was looking at the possibility of installing toilet doors in its planes which would only open with the insertion of a one pound coin (R14).

“In our discussions with (aircraft maker) Boeing they haven’t yet been able to manufacture a toilet door that will take coins in it,” he told a news conference in Madrid on Tuesday.

“But I think it’s a logical development, if you use the toilet for example in train stations in England you pay to use the toilets. I don’t see any reason why people on board an aircraft wouldn’t pay to use the toilet.”

He said the on-board charge would mean more passengers would use the toilets at airports, and would lead to “less passenger inconvenience on board the aircraft.”

“We will charge for every possible thing we can think to charge for, but it will always be the passengers’ choice whether they pay it or don’t pay it,” he said.

O’Leary said the company was also running an online competition to see what else the carrier could charge for on board.

“The suggestion I like best so far is a passenger in Sweden who has suggested that we should produce rolls of toilet paper with my picture on it.”