Alatair,
Let´s face it:
Spain: A Third World Nation
Ryanair: A five Star Airline
O´ Leary: The Perfect Manager
Ryanair´s P2F Pilots: The Best Professionals in the European Sky put in risk by the evil Spanish ATC.
It seems that when you pay peanuts you not only get monkeys, you get loyal monkeys.
I don't think anyone is calling Spain a third world nation, but their ATC is the worst in Europe by some considerable margin and there are a few rogue airlines like Vueling and Nostrum which operate in a very poor manner but are being excluded from the AENA and state diatribes.
Curiously, Ryanair is nearly alone in
NOT using P2F cadets in the low-cost sector, while Vueling does and so do easyJet. It surprises me, too, but it's the truth.
As much as RYR management and the IAA need a repeated kicking in the nuts, this whole issue in Spain is entirely political and hypocritical.