Hmmm, I have mixed feelings about this whole thing. On the one hand its great that Ryan are expanding the actual market for aviation. It means more jobs for you and I.
On the other I dislike their fee based selection and training system. If I were a businessman though I guess it makes sense at the moment.
I actually doubt that they will get their fingers burnt over this - although a lot of people disagree with me who have a lot more experience in the industry... MOL very rapidly brought in the £25,000 type rating, reduced pay and pay for application/selection/sim/uniform etc. He could just as rapidly removed those costs.
There is very little corporate inertia in Ryan.
The moment applications start to wane MOL will be offering some stupendous deal such as the £100,000 Captains salary plus share options that was being trumpeted only 2 years ago. MOL gets great productivity out of pilots and the company earns serious money. If he needs to he has plenty of scope to put together great pilot pay packages.
The fact is at the moment he does not have to. Although the Ryan pay is pretty good when I look at friends pay packets who work for them...
Its a noble idea that the pilot community will remember the travesity of the current injustice with Ryan recruiting. I just feel that people have short memories, they like bases and lifestyle more than ethics, Ryans pay is fine and if they dangle a shiny new 738 NG in your face you will be hard pushed to turn them down.
The issue of lacking Captains is a valid point. FO's are ten a penny true enough but under IAA MOL only needs 3,000hrs and nearly all the low time guys will have this by the time they are in any position bond wise to leave FRA. Turn down an imminent command to go to the bottom of a FO seniority lise elsewhere? Probably not for a lot a people.
For the rest he can afford to pay big bucks from the money he has saved screwing people in the lean years (now).
Lets face it. 5 on 3 off in a 738 working for a successful airline on a total package of circa £100k IS going to get MOL a workable number of LHS chaps.
I don't like what MOL is doing, I do not wish to work for Ryan but I do think they know exactly what they are doing.
Perhaps IAA harmonisation with JAA will change the way FRA are allowed to operate and this will level the playing field somewhat. Nevertheless, full respect to a man and company that shifted immigrant Irish labour from SE England back home for a cheap price only to become the largest most successful fastest growing airline in Europe.
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