I don’t know whether the boss of Ryanair and the joint managing director Bath Travel have ever met, but they certainly one thing in common. They both call a spade a spade.

Michael O’Leary has long been the most outspoken chief executive in the airline industry, not least because he knows it’s one way to ensure his company continues to be talked about.

Mr Bath has a similar intolerance of fools, government bureacracy and the European Union as anyone who has spent more than a few minutes in a meeting with him, knows full well.

He acquired a well deserved reputation for plain speaking during his spell as president of ABTA, the Association of British Travel Agents.

Now both Mr O’Leary and Mr Bath have spoken out about the latest threat to the travel sector, the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland. Mr Bath yesterday branded the cloud “a phantom” and attacked the caution of the Civil Aviation Authority.

He has some reason to feel a little sensitive about the issue, as last year’s volcano episode played some part, albeit a small part, in the demise of Bath Travel’s sister operation, Palmair.

There is one thing everyone can agree on though, whether they take a cautious approach or otherwise. The travel sector needs another crisis like a hole in the head.