Ryanair to cut hundreds of jobs because it has ‘too many staff’

Ryanair has told its staff it is preparing to announce hundreds of job losses in the coming weeks because it has more staff than it currently needs.

In a video message to staff seen by Sky News, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary told employees that the airline has 900 more staff than required, and that job losses will be announced in the coming weeks.

He said: “We already have a surplus of over 500 pilots and some 400 cabin crew, because resignations have dried up to effectively zero since January of 2019.

Mr O’Leary added: “We will need about 600 less pilots and cabin crew for summer 2020.”

He claimed that the “increasing likelihood” of a no-deal Brexit in 12 weeks time had added to the challenges facing Ryanair, and was likely to have a damaging effect on its UK and Ireland bases.

“I am sorry to advise you that this means we have to cut our aircraft numbers – and our staffing – not just in summer 2020, but also in winter 2019.”

He said job cuts would take place around the end of September and again after Christmas.

Mr O’Leary apologised to staff for the uncertainty caused, blaming the threat of a no-deal Brexit and delays in the delivery of new aircraft from Boeing.

This month Ryanair said it would cut the number of 737 MAX jets that will fly next summer from 58 to 30 due to those delays.

The airline boss said the company would begin briefing staff and unions “in the next week or two”, but that final decisions about the losses are not likely to be made before the end of August, ahead of the winter schedule commencing in November.

Mr O’Leary’s staff announcement came after the company released its financial results for the first quarter to 30 June, just as Ryanair faces the prospect of pilot strikes in the UK and Ireland next month.

Earlier this week Mr O’Leary said although the company was willing to talk to unions, there were no current plans for pay concessions to resolve the row with pilots.

He described the timing of the action as “chronically ill-judged” given the challenges facing the airline.

As it announced a 21% decline in profit after tax to €243m (£219m) on Tuesday, Ryanair warned investors that “weak fares” would continue to hit profitability.

The carrier forecast fares would remain 6% down across its summer season, as strong competition plays out in the budget sector.

Ryanair said it was also grappling higher fuel bills, overcapacity in Germany and weaker demand in the UK as the clock ticks down to Brexit, hitting consumer confidence.

The airline had an average of 14,000 flight staff in the year to March 31, according to its annual report.

(c) Sky News 2019: Ryanair to cut hundreds of jobs because it has ‘too many staff’