O’Leary believes his flights could be grounded from April 1 next year when the UK quits the European Union, at least for a short period, unless a deal is struck.
Under EU rules, Ryanair must show regulators that the majority of investors at the Irish airline are EU citizens. The Sunday Times says that 56% of shareholders are European, but that 20% are from the UK.
O’Leary told the newspaper he was examining ways of giving incentives to non-EU investors to persuade them to dump shares, but has said that he will force a sale if necessary. Ryanair has also applied for a British air operating certificate in order to continue operating domestic UK flights.
