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Ultra Low Cost Airlines in Pilot-Poaching Battle

Ryan Air is pulling out all the stops to replenish its ranks after a significant number of qualified pilots were reportedly lured away by competitors Jet2 and Norwegian Air.

It seems that turnabout is fair play when it comes to headhunting airline pilots. After a frustrating run of flight cancelations this summer associated with flight crew staffing issues, Ryan Air is quietly planning to play hardball when it comes to recruiting new talent.

The outright cancellation of hundreds of Ryan Air flights since April has largely been attributed to a mass exodus of qualified pilots from the budget carrier’s employ. Former Ryan Air captain James Atkinson estimates that his onetime employer lost nearly 700 pilots to rival airlines just last year.  By some accounts, Norwegian Air alone has poached a staggering 140 crew members from its competitor in the lead-up to Ryan Air’s recent unprecedented operational issues.

Now, the Dublin-based airline appears ready to strike back at its rivals. The airline’s first counterpunch looks to be an uncharacteristic loosening of the purse strings.

“We are now targeting direct-entry 737 pilots from both these competitor airlines this winter,” Ryanair human resources chief Eddie Wilson said in an internal memo to pilots obtained by Bloomberg.  The letter dated October 12, outlined plans to offer a nearly $30,000 pay rate bump for new hires in an effort to lure licensed pilots away from lucrative opportunities at Jet2 and Norwegian.

The company says that Ryan Air has other weapons in its arsenal as well. The carrier promised to introduce changes to what has has been described as “dire working conditions’ for pilots. Airline management told pilots that former Chief Operations Officer Michael Hickey who abruptly stepped down last week, will be replaced with a candidate who can “lead our operations into the future and transform the way we interact with and create career progression.”

Ryan Air management is also said to be intent on making a play for newly unemployed pilots from the recently collapsed Monarch Airlines. The airline has even reportedly been recalling previously rejected candidates for a second look as part of its all out hiring frenzy. According to reports, airline officials are also stepping up efforts to recruit fresh talent from as far afield as South America and the Middle East.

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twb3 October 16, 2017

The use of "poached" is really offensive. Pilots chose to depart Ryanair for better pay and better working conditions - as is there right. They are employees, not slaves. Absent illegal or unethical actions on the part of Norwegian or other carriers - which is not alleged here - this is the way a free marketplace in labor benefits employees. Ryanair's management is reaping the consequences of choosing to offer low pay and bad working conditions, they deserve no sympathy.