Ryanair plans to take back pilots’ holidays to stop cancellations

Fourweek breaks to be reduced to three amid staffing crisis

Ryanair is planning to take back one week of their pilots’ block holidays to prevent any further flight cancellations, the airline’s chief executive has said.

Michael O’Leary said pilots due to take a four-week block of holidays in the next two months will be told to reduce that to three weeks.

He also said that a number of Ryanair pilots are to be offered a 10,000 euro (£8,800) annual pay rise on top of a 12,000 euro (£10,600) bonus in a bid to plug staff shortages that have led to six weeks of flight disruptions.

Mr O’Leary said pilots’ pay at some of its largest bases “may be a bit on the low side”.

He added that pay rises will be offered in areas where there are recruitment problems such as London Stansted, Dublin, Frankfurt and Berlin.

Mr O’Leary was grilled by shareholders at Ryanair’s AGM in Dublin yesterday about the shelving of up to 50 flights every day over the next six weeks.

He said this was down to the mismanagement of pilots’ annual leave, leading to the over-allocation of blocks of holidays.

“We make mistakes. This time we made a major boo boo.

“A very big block of annual leave (for pilots) was over-allocated for September, October and November,” he said.

Mr O’Leary told shareholders that to help ensure no further cancellations after the six-week period, 500 pilots with a four-week block of leave booked for October and 500 in November will have to work one week of that leave.

He insisted the leave was not being cancelled and that it could be claimed back.

“We will tell them, ‘we will make it up to you’. They will get it back in January. We will offer double time, triple time.

“We will be reasonable. Say a pilot has booked a family holiday to Australia, we will work with them.

“We don’t need their agreement. It is in their contracts.”

Shareholders also heard that Ryanair will complete training for a further 120 pilots within two weeks, and will recruit 500 new pilots over the next six months.

Mr O’Leary said this was part of normal recruitment and not linked to the current controversy.

They will get it back in January. We will offer double time, triple time. CHIEF EXECUTIVE MICHAEL O’LEARY

Picture: PA. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, centre, at the AGM at the airline’s Dublin headquarters.