07:22 AM EDT, 09/11/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Ryanair ( RYAOF ) Chief Executive Officer Michael O'Leary expects airspace incursions like the Russian drone barrage over Poland on Wednesday to "be an ongoing issue for all airlines for the next number of years," multiple news outlets reported Thursday.

He told shareholders Thursday the incident was a "wake-up call for Europe and NATO" as he called for a strong response to "Russian prodding," according to the reports. The Russian drones were shot down over Poland, marking the first time a member of NATO is known to have fired shots during the Russia-Ukraine war, Reuters said.

"This kind of irritant, Russia poking the bear, Russia irritating Europe, Russia playing games with Europe, will continue," O'Leary said, adding that the air carrier does not "see it as a safety issue, but it's certainly a disruption issue," according to Bloomberg.

The incident cut Ryanair's ( RYAOF ) on-time performance to 60% as it affected air traffic in Scandinavia, the Baltics, and Germany, Bloomberg said.

"We expect more disruptions, unless the EU and the White House take some firm stick, preferably in the form of sanctions, penal sanctions, on Russia," O'Leary was quoted by Reuters as saying.