The airline claims 1,000 new jobs, nearly half of them in the UK, will be created this year as part of the airline’s growth that membership of the European Union has enabled.

The airline’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, said he was “absolutely certain” that Britain was better off in the EU: “The single market has enabled Ryanair to lead the low fare air travel revolution in Europe, as we bring millions of British citizens to Europe each year, and welcome millions of European visitors to Britain, and we are calling on everyone to turn out in large numbers and vote ’Remain’ on June 23,” he said.

O’Leary also appeared on BBC’s Question Time last week to help put the Remain message.

Chancellor George Osborne, another key figure in favour of remaining in the EU, was at the Ryanair event. He said: “Today’s announcement is just another example of how British jobs and livelihoods directly benefit from being part of the European Union, thanks to the billions of pounds of foreign investment which flow more to Britain than any other European country. As Ryanair recognises, we’re stronger, safer and better off in the EU.”

Ryanair’s new training centre includes four flight simulators, a full-size cabin mock-up and an aircraft for training engineers.

Given that most of Ryanair’s flights operate within the European Union, it makes total commercial sense to back the Remain campaign.