Ryanair’s disciplined approach to cost is something the low-cost airline will carry through to any artificial intelligence (AI) implementations.
The carrier will not chase hype but prioritize efficiency as it integrates the technology across customer service, revenue management and operations more widely, according to Michael Cawley, a former chief financial officer and deputy CEO of Ryanair.
Cawley, who remains an independent director of the airline, discussed its success at Phocuswright Europe 2025 last month. According to Cawley, the carrier started out by copying Southwest Airlines and that it wasn’t about innovation but “relentless execution,” with the same philosophy now being applied to AI.
He went on to share the Ryanair's priorities for technology investment, with 20% devoted to infrastructure and cybersecurity, 40% to dynamic pricing and 40% to business transformation such as automated check-in.
Cawley also spoke about Ryanair's once rocky relationships with online travel agencies (OTAs), with the airline having struck deals with many large OTAs in the couple of years. Unsurprisingly, the focus remains on direct booking with Ryanair.
“We never hated OTAs. We hated their behavior,” he said.
The conversation also touched on the mistakes legacy carriers make in their attempts to run low-cost subsidiaries and political interference, which Cawley sees as aviation’s biggest threat.
See below for the full interview with WiT’s Yeoh Siew Hoon:
Executive Interview: Aviation, Politics and Profits