Airfares will rise for the next five years because flying has become too cheap to make profits as industry costs spiral, according to Michael O'Leary, the founder of low cost travel in Europe.
His warning came as ticket prices rose across Europe and the US as passengers came back after the coronaviruses.
He said that it was too cheap for what it was. The train journey into central London is more expensive than the air fare.
A combination of high oil prices and environmental charges is expected to push the average price of a ticket up from 40 to between 50 and 60 over the next few years.
The disaster of the UK's exit from the EU made it harder for airlines to recruit European workers and made staff shortages worse this summer. He said that this is one of the inevitable consequences of the disaster caused by the decision to leave the European Union.
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There are reports that airlines are about to announce a new wave of canceled flights.
On Thursday and Friday, passengers complained of long lines, canceled flights and lost luggage as a result of the strikes in Spain.
One of the first airline bosses to warn about an increase in fares in the long run was O'Leary. The Irish airline hedged most of its future fuel requirements for the rest of the year at $65 a barrel, saving it from the worst impact of the sharp rise in prices.
As he expects oil prices to remain higher for the next four or five years until we can wean ourselves off Russian oil and gas, the boss thinks fares will rise. He believes that inflation will hit the airline industry next year, including staff costs and air traffic control charges.
The only major carriers in Europe that have not been disrupted by staff shortages are Ryanair and Air France. Most of the 8,000 job applicants rejected by EasyJet were from the EU. The UK Department for Transport said there had been a shortage of staff.
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