FORMER EMPLOYEE WARNS AGAINST RYANAIR.
Last year 350 000 pax travelled to and from Norway with the low price company Ryanair. Now a former employee warns that the company's low price concept compromizes safety.
With Ryanair you can fly to London for a couple of hudred Krones.
But a former employee, whom Forbruker-Rapporten(Consumer Report magazine) has been in contact with, alleges that the low price tickets are the result of a cynical business ethic and dirty tricks.
"The company usees employees to the extreme", said former Ryaniar flyer Peter Helland to Forbruker-Rapporten.
He flew for the Irish low price company for 6 months before quitting in 2002. Now he will never again set foot on board a Ryanair aircraft. He's seen too much of that.
The public authorities are also concerned at the developments.
"Ryanair and other low price companies cut corners to save money" says one report by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, which was published a while ago.
The February issue of Forbruker-Rapporten points the searchlight on low price companies, in particular Ryanair.
Ryanair is one of the most succesful airlines in the world with steady expansion and enormous profits. The company is reckoned to be the third most valuable airline in the world.
BUT HOW DO THEY MAKE MONEY?
Several former employees are now speaking out with strong criticism of the conditions behind the scenes.
"The company has an unofficial system for dealing with troublesome employees. If you're sick, land with too much fuel, do something 'wrong', you get a mark. If you have too many marks, you get the push!", syas Peter Helland to Forbruker-Rapporten.
All is efficiency in Ryanair. Turn-arounds are only 25 minutes. In this time, the cabin personnel take care of boarding whilst the pilots check the technical condition of the aircraft. Other companies have staff employed to take care of these things.
"You can barely stretch your legs. Before you know, it another load of new passengers are in their seats." tells the Norwegian pilot Tore Eikenes to Forbruker-Rapporten.
Ryanair is criticized from several quarters in the February issue who have repeatedly tried to illicit a respponse from the company's management in Dublin.
But press- spokesman Paul FitzSimmons brushes aside the criticism saying, on a general basis,"Ryanair has revolutionised air travel by lowering prices".
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Sounds like Mr Helland has a bee in his bonnet 'coz he can't take the pressure, if you'll excuse my mixed metaphors.
It may be tough at the top but I draw attention to the thread on Questions, I think, about what the rest of the employees think of their company.
The critics always seem to have the loudest voices.