southwest in the US has been equally relentless at driving down costs (and was of course ryanair's role model) yet seems to have higher levels of staff morale and customer satisfaction. how much of the difference is due to the boss's personality?

and while it is obvious to see the connections between low pay, long hours and safety, we shouldnt overlook the business reasons to take safety seriously. valujet was wiped out in the US by a crash and ryanair's traffic and stock value would surely plummet in the event of one.