Maybepilot
You talk of being forced to be a contractor but for some individuals this is an advantage, job related expenses can be set against tax, their is no problem with the social taxes as long as you pay them and from my experience the job security is about the same as being employed............... Next to nil !
I was employed by Debonair, XL & Viking and lost my job overnight and what did I get for all the tax that had been taken from me under the governments PAYE program ? A few thousand pounds in a lump sum some months later and £52 per week........ Some reward for the 40% tax that they stole from my pay without giving me any real alllowance for work related expenses.
Needless to say I did not even bother with the unemployment pay, I got out he big red toolbox and went back to fixing aircraft were I could make a weeks unemployment benifit (benifit ????!!!!) before tea brake on day one.
Employment is not the answer to all the ills of working in the airlines, it won't give you job security, it is just an excuse for the government to dip into your pay and take what ever they wish......... And give very little back when you find yourself out of work.
We all know that Ryanair are the very worst airline to work for so why do it ? If the pilots voted with their feet the RYR management would have to improve the T&C'S.
Now lets get back to the fuel issue, it is clear that RYR always have the legal minimum fuel when they leave the gate and as far as I can see only one RYR aircraft landed below final reserve fuel and the fact that the other RYR aircraft declared an emergency seems to indicate the need to impress on ATC the seriousness of the unfolding situation.
Perhaps some who have more knowlage of ths incident would like to comment on the rumour that one RYR aircraft was kept in the hold dispite requests for a diversion for so long that the captain had to tell ATC that he was compelled to take up a heading to the diversion airfield without ATC clearance.
Last edited by A and C; 29th Dec 2012 at 08:39.