Ryanair Plans to Remove Bathrooms to Cut Costs

They're trying to convince Boeing to let them install more seats
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 12, 2011 3:31 PM CDT
Ryanair Plans to Remove Bathrooms to Cut Costs
President of Irish budget carrier Ryanair Michael O'Leary poses prior to a press conference in Madrid on September 13, 2011.   (Getty Images/AFP)

If you’re flying on Ryanair, remember what dad always said and do your business before takeoff. Europe’s biggest airline, ever on the cutting edge of new ways to squeeze money out of its flights, had been considering charging passengers to use the bathroom on its flights, but now it’s decided to instead just remove two of the three bathrooms on each plane entirely to make room for more seats, the Independent reports

All Ryanair flights use the Boeing 737-800, outfitted with the maximum 189 seats, but Ryanair is asking Boeing if it will recertify the plane to hold six more seats if the two bathrooms are removed. “We very rarely use all three toilets on board our aircraft anyway,” says Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary, adding that the move “would fundamentally lower air fares by about 5% for all passengers.” Most of Ryanair’s flights are short, with the longest clocking in at 4 hours and 25 minutes. No decision yet from Boeing. (More Ryanair stories.)

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