18 March 2009

Ryanair pilots agree to pay freeze

Ryanair pilots have agreed to a 12-month pay freeze after the airline threatened them with a 10% pay cut.

After a round of intensive negotiations at the airline's 31 pilot bases across Europe, pilots voted in favour of a freeze with productivity increases as the preferred alternative to a salary cut.

As a result, Ryanair said the average pilot pay will remain unchanged over the next year.

RyanairÃ¢â¬â¢s David OÃ¢â¬â¢Brien said: Ã¢â¬ÅâœThese are extraordinarily difficult times in the airline industry.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœAt Ryanair, we are still lowering air fares, which means we will suffer losses in both our third and fourth quarters of the current year (FY08/09).

Ã¢â¬ÅâœOur pilots have recognised the difficulties we face and are making their contribution by negotiating this pay freeze and productivity increase as the preferred alternative to pay cuts.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœManagement at Ryanair has already accepted significant pay cuts. Now our pilots have rowed in with a pay freeze and better productivity enhancements.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœWe are tightening our belt, to ensure that Ryanair meets its target of a 5% reduction in unit costs over the coming year.Ã¢â¬~

Meanwhile, Ryanair has announced that it will open seven new routes to and from Memmingen, around 75kms west of Munich, from May 2009.

The new routes include Dublin and London Stansted.

By Bev Fearis