Ryanair promises pilots significant improvements in pay, conditions

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ryanair on Thursday promised its pilots significant improvements in pay and conditions, saying it would exceed rates paid by rivals and improve job security, according to a letter to pilots seen by Reuters.

The Irish airline, the largest in Europe by passenger numbers, has in recent weeks announced the cancellation of thousands of flights, saying it did not have enough standby pilots to ensure the smooth operation of its schedule.

Ryanair will deliver “significant improvements to your rosters, your pay, your basing, your contracts and your career progression over the next 12 months,” chief executive Michael O‘Leary said in the letter addressed “to all Ryanair pilots”.

The letter 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.