Ryanair is ‘filthiest’ airline, according to consumer watchdog

Ryanair, the carrier that passengers love to hate, was named the grubbiest airline in a poll by Which?.

The airline refused to comment at this point. Picture: Getty Images

The carrier came bottom in a poll by consumer watchdogs Which? with 24 per cent of passengers rating its cleanliness as “poor”. Fewer than half reckoned it was “good”.

Which? said its investigator boarded a Ryanair flight to be greeted by “greasy tray tables, soiled headrests and dusty window sills.

“Even worse, an ultraviolet light showed up stains on the tray table that could not be seen with the naked eye.”

Wizz Air and Vueling were next worst with 10 per cent of passengers scoring them as poor, followed by EasyJet with 8 per cent.

Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways were rated best, with near perfect scores for good cleanliness.

Which? polled 7,900 people last autumn but said it did not expect things to have changed.

Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said: “Faster and faster turnarounds are one thing, but it is unacceptable for some airlines to be cutting corners when it comes to cleaning their cabins properly, no matter how cheap the ticket.

“There are steps you can take - either choose your next flight on an airline that has a good track record for cleanliness or equip yourself with some antibacterial wipes.

“If you are flying Ryanair though, a biohazard suit might be more appropriate.”

A spokeswoman for Ryanair said: “We are not issuing a statement on this story.”

However, an EasyJet spokesman said: “Our cabin crew clean the aircraft after every flight in line with industry standards and dispose of any waste.

“The toilets are thoroughly cleaned each night by the professional cleaning teams at all of our airports along with the cabin, seats and tray tables.

“Additionally, every aircraft goes through a deep clean every 40 days by a team of specialist cleaners.”