The lesson we re-learn from him is to question everything. He asks why planes need two pilots, when it only takes one to fly the plane? The answer, of course, is safety. His response is essentially no problem, we’ll teach at least one member of the cabin crew how to land the plane in an emergency. Outrageous? Maybe not. How many times per year does a pilot experience an emergency which keeps him/her from flying the plane such that the co-pilot needs to take over? What is the nature of those emergencies and is Mr. O’Leary’s suggestion viable?
He’s also famous for suggesting pay toilets on the airplane and possibly a standing only airplane. Radical ideas indeed, but in an industry where the last business model innovation was Southwest Airlines, some shaking up is a good thing. Obviously, he is not catering to everyone (thus his focus), and he is constantly questioning norms. Which may explain why he flies more people in Europe than any other airline and makes money doing it. His peers may think him “nuts,” but the last person to be called that in the airline industry was Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines. And we see how that turned out.
What are you doing to reconsider the norms in your industry?
Mitch
