Ryanair, the European low-cost airline, on Tuesday said it was considering legal action against the UK government to force it to abandon the stringent security measures put in place at British airports.

The Irish carrier has been among the most vocal critics of the execution of the new policy, and analysts have said the low-cost segment is the most vulnerable to the changes because of their reliance on high aircraft utilisation and revenue-generating measures such as charging for checked luggage.