Originally Posted by Aviatrix
Employing local handling agencies is very much the norm in Europe - for all airlines, not just Ryanair. I don't know of any European airlines that employs its own handling staff other than at their home airport and a few major hubs. As a general rule check-in and gate staff are provided by airports, or by specialist handling agents such as Servisair, or by other airlines.
Of course this has been true for many years with many airports having only a couple of agents, and almost every frequent traveler knows this. While very wisely implimented as a cost saving measure in larger airports making the best use of staff by spreading them out for check-in of several airlines the RyanAir case is not the same in many airports.
ServiceAir is a professional handling agent, working with many airlines, where workers can be trained and shifted around and have experience all around the globe. I do not know who RyanAir uses at each airport, but the information I have on NYO outside of Stockholm is that it is a local Airport agent that was created just to handle RyanAir. Local I think was the key word you missed here.
This does not have the same flexability that workers would have with ServiceAir. These companies that are set up run everything from the cleaning of the airport, local info desks to the kiosks and restaurants.
RyanAir contracts are usually very good and that is why they have headed out to these country airports in many cases and get huge tax breaks and incentives by local government authorities.
I have been told that most of the flight attendents at this base are from the Baltics and thus one of the reasons RyanAir has flights to Riga.
I have mixed feelings on RyanAir and the affect they have on the industry, but mostly feel they have created many new markets for people who might not have flown previously. But there are many ethical questions underlying their business plan.