Ryanair PLC (LON:RYA) has promised its pilots significant improvements in pay and conditions, saying it would exceed rates paid by rivals and improve job security, as the under-pressure airline tries to combat a protracted battle with its flyers over rota changes.
Last month, the discount airline’s pilots rejected a one-off bonus to work extra hours to help the group overcome an issue which has led to the cancellation of a large number of flights.
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In a letter, seen by Reuters and addressed “to all Ryanair pilots”, the airline’s chief executive Michael O‘Leary said the group will deliver “significant improvements to your rosters, your pay, your basing, your contracts and your career progression over the next 12 months.”
The letter also said Ryanair would exceed the pay and job security offered by rivals like Jet2 and Norwegian Air Shuttle and that it would negotiate on any differences in conditions between Ryanair’s Irish contracts and those offered by local laws at European bases.
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The firm, Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers, has been embroiled in controversy over recent weeks after it announced the cancellation of thousands of flights because it did not have enough standby pilots to ensure the smooth operation of its schedule after making a change to rotas.