Almost 30% of Ryanair’s shareholders have voted against the chairman’s re-election after an unsettled year at the low-cost carrier.

The budget airline held its annual general meeting near Dublin on Thursday after a year in which it has been buffeted by pilot strikes which have grounded hundreds of flights.

Chairman David Bonderman’s re-election was secured by a reduced 70.5% of votes.

That compared with 89% who voted in favour last year.

Chief executive Michael O’Leary was returned by 98.5% and he defended his chairman and his airline’s performance.

David Bonderman
Ryanair chairman David Bonderman (Niall Carson/PA)

Mr O’Leary said: “Whoever we replace him with would not carry his stature within the aviation industry.”

He said there was a clear succession plan for members of the board and all the company’s managers.

The chief executive has been on a rolling 12-month contract for years.

He said he had no plans to step aside within the next year and enjoyed running the company.

“We have interesting and challenging times ahead which I want to deal with.”

The budget carrier has faced industrial action by pilots across Europe.

Last month Ryanair and Irish pilots’ union Forsa reached an agreement, the trade union said, and the threat of job losses was averted.

It was the first collective agreement the airline has reached in the Republic and represented the reversal of a 32-year policy.

It agreed to recognise unions last year.

The dispute between the airline and some of its Irish pilots involved annual leave, base transfers and promotions.

It caused five days of strike action by about 100 of Ryanair’s 350 Irish-based pilots.

Ryanair pilots
Irish Ryanair pilots during their strike (Aoife Moore/PA)

In August there was a 24-hour strike involving staff in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Sweden and Ireland and 400 flights were cancelled.

Ryanair cabin crew in Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium are expected to strike on September 28.

Mr O’Leary accepted that some union strikes needed to happen but said pilot attrition had diminished.

The company’s staffing costs have increased due to pay rises.

The firm’s ultra-efficient low-cost model has seen it become one of the biggest and most profitable airlines in the world.

The mismanagement of pilot rosters last year led to the cancellation of thousands of flights.

The resulting fall-out culminated in union recognition and the recent industrial relations strife, which the airline says has affected relatively few flights.