Ryanair chief : seatbelts don't matter

Seatbelts on airplanes are pointless and don't contribute to passenger safety, says the head of Irish discount airline company Ryanair. Chief Executive Michael O'Leary wants to eliminate the back rows of seats on his airplanes so he can sell extra-cheap tickets to passengers willing to stand up for the entire flight, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday. "Seatbelts don't matter," O'Leary said. "If there ever was a crash on an aircraft, God forbid, a seatbelt won't save you." An airplane, he claimed, is "just a ... bus with wings." O'Leary is seeking to create "standing room only" areas in cabins where travelers could fly within Europe for $1.60. European aviation safety regulations say all passengers must be belted in during take-off and landing. "We operate 1,500 flights a day. They don't come skidding in. This is a very routine, safe form of travel," O'Leary argued. Ryanair posted a 10 percent rise in profits to $762.5 million for the first half of 2012.