Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

Budget airline mulls charging passengers to use toilet

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-03-01 20:05

LONDON – Irish budget airline Ryanair is considering charging passengers to use the toilet during flights, Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said on Friday.

A Ryanair jet sitting on a tarmac. [Agencies]

O'Leary said the Dublin-based 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 (1.10 euros, $1.40).

"One thing we have looked at in the past, and are looking at again, is the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door, so that people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in future," he told the BBC.

He added: "I don't think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair aircraft with less than a pound."

It is the latest Ryanair idea to save money in the tough economic climate.

Last week the airline confirmed it planned to close all its airport check-in desks by the end of the year to cut costs.

A Ryanair spokesman, Stephen McNamara, later played down the toilet charge idea.

"Michael makes a lot of this stuff up as he goes along and while this has been discussed internally there are no immediate plans to introduce it," he said.