The head of low-cost airline Ryanair blamed the chaos affecting Britain's aviation industry on post-Brexit immigration policies, calling Friday for "more common sense" to ensure a supply of needed workers.

A lack of workers has seen London's Heathrow airport limit the number of flights, while airlines have also had to cancels thousands of flights due to a shortage of cabin crew numbers.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said companies currently faced a "bizarre situation" in Britain.

"I can get visas to bring Moroccans to come in and work as cabin crew, but I can't get visas for Portuguese or Italians or Slovakian youngsters," O'Leary said.

Before Britain's February 2020 exit from the EU, Europeans could take up jobs in the country without needing a visa.

One of the arguments of the pro-Brexit camp was that Britain's exit from the EU would open up jobs for Britons.

But locals are not taking up the jobs as available posts reach record highs and sectors which traditionally relied upon foreign workers such as the hospitality sector and agriculture struggle to find workers.

O' Leary said issuing more visas for European workers would help ease the current disruptions in the aviation sector.

"We just need a bit of more common sense and a practical approach to how we implement Brexit," he told Radio 4.

But Britain is far from the only country where airports and airlines are struggling to hire enough workers.

When Covid-19 restrictions nearly shut down international travel the companies cut back staff numbers in order to stay in business, but are now finding it difficult to rehire workers, many of whom have gone on strike to obtain better wages and labour conditions.

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RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC