900 Hours
From Irish Independant 23rd August
A RYANAIR pilot has officially complained to the Irish Aviation Authority that he has been forced to fly more than the legally permitted 900 hours a year.
If it is proved Ryanair has forced a pilot to exceed permitted flying limits it would prompt huge concerns about safety.
The pilot's complaint came in the last week, and coincides with damning coverage in a British newspaper yesterday claiming that the low-cost airline forces its pilots to exceed the flying limits.
Ryanair denied the allegation and said its rostering for its pilots was measured by the month and limits are not broken.
In a statement the low-cost carrier said: "Over the last year to March 31, 2002, no Ryanair pilot either reached or exceeded this 900-hour limit and the average flight hours for each Ryanair pilot was 809 hours."
However, a spokesperson for the Irish Aviation Authority confirmed yesterday that a Ryanair pilot has alleged in the last week that he has been forced to exceed the flying limits.
"The allegation was being treated as a priority and was definitely being followed up," the spokesperson said.
But she said the watchdog for Irish airlines had found no evidence to support claims in the London 'Times' that in general Ryanair made it pilots fly more than the 900 hours a year recommended by the Irish Aviation Authority and Europen safety regulators.
Ryanair insisted last night that it did not compromise on safety. Any of its pilots who reach 900 hours are not allowed to fly until the beginning of the following year.
"This system is further enhanced by Ryanair's stable rosters, all of which are issued 28 days in advance, with a guaranteed minimum of five days off in every 14-day period, with pilots operating from their home bases and no night-time flying."
Ryanair is registered in Dublin and comes under the control of the Irish Aviation Authority even though its biggest base is at Stansted, near London.
The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), which represents pilots in the UK, said yesterday it had received "several" complaints from Ryanair staff concerned about flying hours.
Airline sources at Dublin airport said Ryanair was in the habit of pushing its pilots up to the limit of the permitted flight hours.
Last night the Irish Aviation Authority denied claims it had in any way weakened its rules on flying times to suit the Michael O'Leary-run airline. "These are international regulations that have been laid down. We have not changed the rules for Ryanair," the spokesperson said.
Charlie Weston