The chief executive of Ryanair has called for the dismissal of Martin Rolfe, head of National Air Traffic Services (NATS), following a recent IT failure that disrupted air travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers across the United Kingdom. The incident, which unfolded earlier this week, resulted in the cancellation of dozens of flights and has been attributed to significant technical difficulties within NATS’ systems.

Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s CEO, criticized the government for what he described as attempts to shield Rolfe from accountability. O’Leary expressed frustration over Rolfe’s continued leadership despite presiding over multiple operational breakdowns at NATS, stating that Rolfe has now overseen three major failures affecting the UK’s air traffic infrastructure. O’Leary argued that Rolfe should be removed from his role, which carries a salary of approximately £1.4 million annually, and accused him of deflecting responsibility by citing safety concerns.

In response to the disruptions, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has set a deadline of one week for Rolfe to provide a comprehensive report explaining the causes of the latest IT malfunction. The ongoing technical issues led to the cancellation of an additional 51 flights on the day following the initial failures, prolonging the travel chaos and straining the capacity of UK airports and airlines.

The disruption has notably impacted roughly 330,000 passengers, highlighting vulnerabilities in the air traffic control system managed by NATS. The government and aviation authorities are under increasing pressure to address the underlying causes and prevent future incidents that could undermine confidence in the country’s air travel infrastructure.