Outspoken Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has 1 June underlined in his diary. This is the day he will find out whether he has to fulfil his latest pledge: to walk naked through the streets of Warsaw to highlight Polish national carrier Lot's fuel surcharges.
The Irish carrier considers unlikely suggestions that Lot will scrap its fuel surcharges, brought in to counter rising costs. Ryanair has caused irritation in Poland by publicising its decision to not charge surcharges, leading a Lot spokesman to criticise the Irish carrier's publicity tactics on Monday. Lot's communications chief, Leszek Chorzewski, told Poland’s TVN24 news channel that Ryanair would "do anything for publicity, even drop its trousers".
Michael O'Leary retaliated by issuing, via a website challenge (pictured below), that he would perform a "fuel monty" walk down Marszalkowska Steet in central Warsaw if Lot did indeed drop its surcharge. The term "full monty" is male stripper slang for a full-frontal nude finale to a show, popularised by the UK comedy movie of the same name. "I will walk down Marszalkowska street naked," says O'Leary.
Ryanair has eight destinations in the country, but does not operate into the capital Warsaw, claiming high airport charges at the city's Lot-dominated Okecie airport.