Ryanair says scrap the seatbelt

The outspoken CEO of the European discount airline Ryanair, Michael O’Leary, wants to do away with seat belts in airplanes, arguing they are useless in the event of a crash. He wants to remove the last 10 rows of seating in his firm’s Boeing 737s to sell $1.59 standing-only tickets. “You don’t need a seat belt on trains which are travelling at 120 mph and if they crash you’re all dead,” O’Leary told the Telegraph. His plan is certain to be rejected by authorities. Seat belts may not help in a crash, but they do save lives and prevent injuries in storms, heavy turbulence and hard landings. O’Leary has at least succeeded in drawing more attention to his airline. His penchant for the spotlight has been a key to its success in what has been a period of turmoil for many other airlines. Last week, Ryanair reported a 10 per cent rise in net profits from April to September compared to the same period a year ago.