Ryanair Boss May Race In Fishnets

The Chief Executive of Budget Airline Ryanair has called for the public to vote on a proposition that could see the leaders of two major airlines racing in high heels and fishnets.

Ryanair, said this morning that over 10,000 passengers have so far voted for Ryanair and Easyjet to take part in a Sumo bout in Trafalgar Square, closely followed by a cross dressing drag-race, to settle a dispute about publishing punctuality statistics.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary made the bizarre proposition to the Easyjet chief Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou over allegations that the latter airline had stopped publishing its punctuality statistics on its website.

Ryanair revealed the current favourites with passengers for how to settle the dispute, and the public can continue to vote for their favourite on www.ryanair.com before this Friday at www.ryanair.com.

So far, the front runners are a Sumo wrestling bout; a drag race, dressed in high-heels and fishnets; a 'Chariots of Fire' race around Trafalgar Sq; a mud wrestling contest; an arm-wrestling match and a wheelbarrow race around Trafalgar Square.

Easyjet have not responded to the proposition.

However, Ryanair's antics have been overshadowed today as newly published Government figures show that Ireland has lost nearly one million overseas visitors to the country last year as the slump in tourism continues.

The figures for December, published by the Central Statistics Office today, show a total of 6,927,500 overseas trips were made to Ireland last year, the lowest since 2005 and a drop of 911,500 (11.6 per cent) when compared to 2008.

The drop of 15.9% in visitor numbers from Britain, the State's main tourism market, accounted for most of the decline, with trips to Ireland from the UK falling by 615,400.

Visitor numbers from other European countries fell by 228,000 and from North America by 24,200.

(DW/GK)