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Ryanair's popular - and controversial - cabin crew bikini calendar has been scrapped, the airline's chief executive has confirmed.

The calendars, which feature 12 members of the low-cost airline's female cabin crew posing provocatively in bikinis, have been published annually since 2008.

As well as raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity, the calendars have raised plenty of eyebrows, with advertisements for the product banned in 2011.

Calendar girls: Ryanair has announced the airline will not publish its cabin crew bikini calendar next year

Steamy: The calendars have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity - and plenty of controversy too

Following his announcement of the cancelled calendars on Irish radio station Today FM, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary hinted that the move had been a reluctant decision but was not in keeping with its family-friendly image.

'I think it was a great idea by the cabin crew,' he told AOL. 'It genuinely did raise huge amounts of money for charity and we will struggle to replace it with something as good or as successful.'

A spokesperson for the airline said that next year's charity efforts are still being worked out. 'We are finalising our charity options for 2015 which will be unveiled soon,' he said.

Charitable efforts: The calendars have been published annually since 2008 - these shots from the 2013 edition were shot in Paphos, Cyprus

Objectifying staff? Despite backlash against the calendars, the airline has always defended them on the basis that the idea came from cabin crew themselves

Ryanair cabin crew bare all for 2014 charity calendar

The inaugural calendar in 2008 featured cabin crew posing on aircraft and on the tarmac. One crew member wore a life jacket and sucked suggestively on the inflation tube, while another appeared scantily clad in the cockpit. 

In more recent years the photoshoots have taken place in Crete and Cyprus. 

Ryanair landed in hot water with the Advertising Standards Authority in 2011, when racy shots from the photoshoot used to advertise that year's calendar were deemed 'sexist' and 'demeaning'.

Thousands of people signed an online petition against the ads, which was started by a flight attendant. The ads were eventually banned by the ASA. 

Executive decision: Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary, who confirmed the news on Irish radio, has hinted that the move had been a reluctant decision

Last one: The 2014 was as steamy as ever, and featured the cabin crew posing in lingerie on the beach in Chania, Crete

Despite the backlash, the airline continued to publish the calendar, and just last year appeared to be committed to continuing the tradition. 

'There is nothing demeaning about our people volunteering to raise lots of money for very worthwhile charities such as the UK Teenage Cancer Trust,' spokesperson Robin Kiely told MailOnline Travel at the time.

'Our charity calendars raise over €100,000 for charity each year so we intend and continue to support our cabin crew, who like it, and want us to continue it.' 

International: The calendars feature crew from all of the airline's bases, including Dusseldorf and Rome

Taking off: The inaugural calendar in 2008 saw 12 crew members in provocative poses

Outrage: In 2011 advertisements for the calendars were deemed 'sexist' and 'demeaning'

What next? The airline says that it has yet to decide upon its charitable efforts for 2015 - though CEO Michael O'Leary has voiced his doubts that they will be able to replicate the calendar's success

It also pointed to a passenger survey which suggested that 99 per cent support the calendar, with fewer than 300 against it. Moreover, it found that just 10.5 per cent of respondees believed the calendar should include men, while only six per cent said they wanted a men-only calendar. 

Meanwhile, Ryanair announced today that it carried 8.5 million passengers last month - a five per cent increase on the figure for September 2013.

A total of 83.8 million passengers travelled with the Irish carrier in the 12 months ending in September - a 4 per cent rise on the total for the 12 months ending in September last year.

MailOnline Travel has contacted Ryanair for comment.