Low-Cost Pilots Demand High Pay Raises

Ryanair aviators want doubled salaries and free coffee in new pay deal.

Ryanair captains are demanding nearly 43 percent pay raises and free coffee from the low-cost carrier and say they are willing to strike if demands are not met. Bloomberg reports a group of pilots known as the European Employee Representative Council is making the requests on behalf of all aviators across the Irish airline’s bases.

The unofficial group is attempting to formally organize as a collective bargaining unit for all 86 Ryanair locations. Previously, deals were made with individual bases in an effort to minimize organization pressures. Currently based out of London Stansted Airport (STN), 60 percent of pilots based there voted against a 20 percent pay increase on demands that wages be matched for everyone.

The pilots are asking for wages to be increased to $198,000 from their current pay of $84,027. In addition, the group wants benefits to improve, including covering uniform costs, in-flight coffee and snacks and ground transportation when working outside of their home location.

The threats are the latest setback for the low-cost carrier notorious for offering no-frill airfares at low costs, but adding fees for everything from checking in at the airport to on-board amenities. In September 2017, the airline announced they would cancel 50 flights per day for six weeks, followed by a much larger cancellation scheme which saw 34 routes come to an end.

The airline acknowledged that they would “continue to engage” pilots at STN, hopeful they could bring the unrest to a quiet end. In their defense, officials for Ryanair told Bloomberg their negotiations were successful at 10 other airbases, increasing pilots wages by nearly $30,000.

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