It was the Irish who opened up Europe’s skies, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary says.
He holds Peter Sutherland, the Irishman who was European commissioner for competition between 1985 and 1989, responsible for creating the air travel regime that boosted competition and made flying cheaper for everyone.
“Peter Sutherland drove all of this in the face of massive opposition from the German and French flag carriers, who did everything in their power to stop him. It’s very much an Irish success story in Europe,” he says.