Ryanair faces MORE chaos as pilots consider strike action

Crisis-hit Ryanair could be facing a pilots’ strike to pile on further misery for its passengers.

It is reported that about 120 pilots are considering industrial action over conditions.

Three meetings were held in Dublin on Monday, where a ballot for some kind of action was on the table.

MORE: Ryanair publishes full list of more than 2,000 cancelled flights

According to the Irish Independent newspaper, Irish pilots are also set to meet their European colleagues to discuss ‘collective action’ – which may result in a strike or staff calling in sick en masse.

The beleaguered airline is already under fire for the chaos surrounding the cancellation of more than 2,000 flights between now and the end of October, affecting about 400,000 passengers.

Those cancellations were sparked by changes to the holiday roster which left Ryanair with too few pilots to cover the flights.

Boss Michael O’Leary admitted it was a mess but said: “It’s not my biggest cock-up. I have a litany of cock-ups in Ryanair over the past 25 years.

“It’s a cock-up that affects 2% of our customers over a six-week period and I’m very sorry for it. Has this been one of the greatest days in Ryanair’s history? No.

“It is my mess-up there, therefore I have to clean it up. I don’t think my head should roll, I need to stay here and fix this. I apologise to customers who were affected.”

MORE: 7 things you need to know about Ryanair’s cancelled flights

Social media has been full of angry and upset travellers who have been left stranded across Europe or who have seen their holidays, weddings and business plans ruined.

The airline bowed to pressure and on Tuesday published a full list of the services that have been axed.

If pilots do carry out some form of coordinated action it could have a major impact on flights. A similar move last week by pilots at Air Berlin saw 250 call in sick and led to 100 services being cancelled at short notice.

The Irish pilots’ union, IALPA, says Ryanair’s explanation for the “mess-up” over holidays is not the full reason behind the cancellations.

It says 718 pilots have quit the airline this year, many of them poached by low cost rival Norwegian, which has established a hub at Dublin.

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It has also been reported that Ryanair pilots are being offered up to €12,000 in bonuses to forgo annual leave in an attempt to close the gaps in work rosters.

Ryanair is believed to have set aside €20m for compensation claims arising from the cancellations, although analysts at Dublin-based Goodbody Stockbrokers estimated the cancellations would cost the airline about €34.5m – comprising €23.5m in compensation, €6.3m in lost fees and €4.7m in subsistence such as meals, drinks and accommodation.

However, O’Leary has warned tens of thousands of people whose flights are further than two weeks away they will not get any compensation – only a refund for their flight, as per EU rules.