It comes days after Ryanair boss Michael O´Leary suggested that TAP was being prepared for privatisation or a fusion with Spanish airline Iberia. The president of Ryanair says that his airline company will soon be the Nº1 airline in Portugal from next summer onwards and says air traffic recovery has not reached full capacity simply because TAP has not handed over 18 slots that it is not using. At a press conference in Lisbon on Wednesday, 25 May, O'Leary said his main concern was that TAP would hand over the slots to his competitor easyJet. The Ryanair boss said his company should have the slots as it meets all the requirements to have them. Brussels will take the final decision on the matter. Ryanair says the 18 slots are essential to consolidate its position of growth in a phase when it wants to be the Nº1 airline in the Portuguese market in 2022 by increasing passenger numbers to 13 million. Michael O'Leary maintains the expectation that it will overtake TAP in terms activity at Lisbon airport.