Ryanair says it will hire 2,000 pilots to crew its fleet of new Boeing aircraft, the airline said in a statement on Monday.
It is reportedly the largest recruitment drive that the industry has seen since the start of the pandemic. The airline has forecast that it will carry more than 200 million passengers by the end of its financial year 2024 — the airline reports final results in May.
Last month, Ryanair took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, with a further 12 planes expected in time for the peak of summer travel this year.
The Irish airline is the largest European customer for the model, with a total of 210 orders of the 197-seat aircraft.
Europe’s largest budget airline has been forced to wait more than two years for the delivery of the Boeing 737-8200s after the aircraft was involved in two fatal accidents just months apart in 2018 and 2019. The aircraft was subsequently grounded for 22 months.
The new aircraft are expected to help the company to reduce fuel use, carbon emissions and costs.
The hiring spree will add to the current roster of 5,000 pilots at Europe’s largest airline. It is also aiming to increase annual passenger numbers by more than a third within three years over pre-pandemic levels.
Ryanair is planning to hire 2,000 pilots over the next three years in one of the aviation industry’s biggest recruitment drives since the start of the pandemic.
The hiring spree will add to the current roster of 5,000 pilots at Europe’s largest airline. It is also aiming to increase annual passenger numbers by more than a third within three years over pre-pandemic levels.
Ryanair cut 3,000 jobs last year, but not among its pilots. It has reduced its employment of cabin crew.
However, Ryanair pilots did agree to take a 20 per cent cut to their pay, which will be restored to its original levels over four years.
REUTERS