Did Ryanair’s publicity-chasing CEO Michael O’Leary read about that American Airlines flight back in June? In a recent interview, he suggested that one way to reduce costs would be to get rid of the second pilot and just make sure every flight has a flight attendant with a pilot’s license.

“Let’s take out the second pilot. Let the bloody computer fly it,” O’Leary told Bloomberg Businessweek, adding that a flight attendant on each flight could be trained to help land a plane if something goes wrong.

“If the pilot has an emergency, he rings the bell, he calls her in,” O’Leary told the magazine. “She could take over.”

“Airline CEO: Nix co-pilot, save money” [CNN]

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