Compassion

Michael O'Leary, CEO of budget Irish airline Ryanair, on trying not to lose money because people don't want to travel and catch swine flu compassion:

But the outspoken head of Irish budget airline Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, played down the danger of the virus to travellers.

"It is a tragedy only for people living... in slums in Asia or Mexico, but will the honeymoon couple from Edinburgh die? No," he told journalists.

O'Leary said that "a couple of Strepsils (a brand of throat lozenges) will do the job."

That's right. Swine flu isn't a deadly disease that the WHO says "can not be contained" or has us at a "turning point", it's a tiny little problem that a cheery attitude, a cheap ticket, and a lozenge can take care of. Everyone is overreacting. Thanks for dropping the knowledge Dr. O'Leary. Fly Ryanair.