Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has rubbished British government claims it will secure favourable trade deals post-Brexit, insisting the UK will be "screwed" in negotiations.
The outspoken Remain campaigner said most of Prime Minister Theresa May’s cabinet did not have a clue what Brexit will look like, and described predictions of positive agreements as "arrogant nonsense".
"I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how 'the world will want to trade with us'. The world will want to screw you - that's what happens in trade talks," he said.
"They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade."
The Ryanair boss was speaking at the launch of the airline's 2017 summer schedule for Northern Ireland.
Expressing concern about the economic impact of Brexit during a press event in Belfast, Mr O'Leary also poured scorn on hopes of achieving good trading terms with the remaining EU states.
"Nobody in the airline industry knows what the outcome of Brexit is, which puts us in exactly the same situation as most of the cabinet of the Government of the UK, since they haven't a clue either," he said.
Mr O'Leary added: "The European Union is not going to make it easy for the UK. All this kind of arrogant nonsense in London - 'we're the fifth biggest economy in the world, they'll give a good deal'. They won't.
"The European countries are paranoid about being seen to be tough on the UK, because if they are not tough on the UK, the right-wing parties in most of those countries - in Germany, in France, in Holland - will be next.
"Why would you be a member of the European Union if you can have control over your borders? You wouldn't.
"So if the UK gets a good deal, the European Union breaks up, and they care less about the UK than they do about protecting and keeping the European Union together."
Mr O'Leary said Ryanair intended to pivot business away from the UK in the next 18 months, as the carrier waited to see the outworking of Brexit.
But he expressed hope that, long term, the airline industry would absorb the impact of the UK leaving the European Union.
Launching Ryanair's 2017 summer schedule for Northern Ireland, Mr O'Leary reiterated his call for air passenger duty (APD) to be completely scrapped in the region.
The airline recently dropped two of its four routes out of City of Derry Airport - London Stansted and Faro.
Explaining the move, he said through most of January this year the average fare paid by customers on the Stansted route was less than the APD tax of £13.
"That's why we can't continue to sustain a route like that, where we are not even covering the local taxes here, never mind making a contribution to Ryanair's own operating costs," he said.
O'Leary critical of runway review
Meanwhile, the Ryanair boss strongly criticised proposals for an independent review into the concerns of local residents about plans for a third runway at Dublin Airport.
The runway project has received planning permission but it is understood Transport Minister Shane Ross wants to set up a review of all the issues surrounding the proposal.
Mr O'Leary said plans for the review amounted to more official indecision.
He said the runway project was being held to blackmail by some residents and local politicians, and he blamed 'NIMBYs' - not in my backyard people - for delaying the runway development.
