Ryanair says its pilot to aircraft ratio is as high now as it has ever been and denies widespread industry rumours that its flightcrew recruitment and training has not been able to keep up with fleet growth. Meanwhile, the carrier is in “direct negotiations†with its pilots about the possibility of a radical change to its flightcrew rostering pattern to which the reaction has so far been positive, says chief pilot Capt Ray Conway.
The airline’s head of air and ground operations David O’Brien claims that the airline is recruiting and training pilots at a rate of 300 to 400 a year to meet a fleet expansion of between 30 and 40 aircraft every 12 months. Last year, says Conway, the airline took on 300 new pilots, created 150 new commands and 40 new training positions. At present the airline has “more than the nominal nine pilots per aircraftâ€, says O’Brien.
Ryanair’s fleet currently consists of around 100 Boeing 737-800s, with a further 140 on backlog. For about two more years the airline will continue to recruit some direct-entry captains to meet the command requirements it cannot fill through internal promotion, says O’Brien, but after that time the airline’s cadetship and training scheme will have eliminated that need and all captains will be promoted from within. He insists, however, that there is no shortage of quality pilot applicants with full commercial licences.
Flight Global
The airline’s head of air and ground operations David O’Brien claims that the airline is recruiting and training pilots at a rate of 300 to 400 a year to meet a fleet expansion of between 30 and 40 aircraft every 12 months. Last year, says Conway, the airline took on 300 new pilots, created 150 new commands and 40 new training positions. At present the airline has “more than the nominal nine pilots per aircraftâ€, says O’Brien.
Ryanair’s fleet currently consists of around 100 Boeing 737-800s, with a further 140 on backlog. For about two more years the airline will continue to recruit some direct-entry captains to meet the command requirements it cannot fill through internal promotion, says O’Brien, but after that time the airline’s cadetship and training scheme will have eliminated that need and all captains will be promoted from within. He insists, however, that there is no shortage of quality pilot applicants with full commercial licences.
Flight Global
