Some of the views from the armchair CEOs in this thread are amazing! I'd like to see them have a go at running these seriously complex businesses and see where we end up.

Michael O'Leary is a visionary - he turned a tiny airline into probably one of the biggest in the world. OK, his methods may not be to the liking of some, but his actions have benefited all consumers by providing flights to people who couldn't afford to fly before, flights to hundreds of destinations across Europe and beyond, and lowered prices across the whole European shorthaul market. Ultimately it is the consumer who demands that, he just found a way of delivering it.

I would be interested to see the parallel universe where someone took BA in a different direction. I suspect they would have had to have exited Gatwick and focussed on being a much small, niche longhaul airline. People may not like WW's style either, but it is undeniable that he built one of the most respected airline Groups in the world and probably by doing so, created far more sustainable jobs than he 'destroyed'.