Ryanair Holdings PLC (LON:RYA) announced plans to hire 2,000 new pilots to crew aircraft deliveries over the next three years.
The budget carrier said the investment in new aircraft, such as the ‘greener’ Boeing 737-8200 Gamechanger, has created an opportunity to take in new staff as it rebuilds from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Most captain vacancies will be filled by internal promotions of first officers, who will then be replaced by new cadet pilots.
Training courses will take place this year so the new hires will be ready for Summer 2022 for positions all over Europe.
The Irish airline has partnered with Airline Flight Academy in Dublin for the courses.
Last year, the group said it would cut 3,000 jobs but the plan was scrapped after unions agreed to cut salaries of pilots and cabin crews to avoid redundancies.
Shares shed 4% to €15.66 on Monday late morning.