Ryanair warns it will cut pilot and cabin crew jobs this winter
RYANAIR has warned it will axe pilot and cabin crew jobs this winter.
The budget airline has been hit with delays in the delivery of Boeing Max jets.
Ryanair had initially expected 58 aircraft to be delivered before the summer next year but this was later reduced to 30.
This figure has now dropped even further to just 20, while there's a risk it won't receive any of them on time, Ryanair said in its results statement this morning.
This means it will "be forced to cut or close a number of loss making bases this winter leading to pilot and cabin crew job losses".
It added: "We continue to work with our people and their unions to finalise this process."
In a video alongside the results, chief executive Michael O’Leary said there is "a real risk that it would have no Boeing 737 MAX aircraft flying next summer if there are additional delays to the return to service of the grounded aircraft."
The jets carry more passengers and use less fuel than its existing planes, but two deadly crashes led to the aircraft being temporarily grounded.
Ryanair hasn't yet told The Sun how many of its 5,000 pilots and 9,000 flight attendants the issue would affect.
It also hasn't said whether this means it'll reduce its routes, nor whether any flights will be cancelled. We'll update this story once we hear back.
Earlier in August, Ryanair warned that it could cut up to 900 jobs, including pilots and flight attendants, due to late delivery of the jets.
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At the same time, it also sent a "veiled threat" to the UK pilots' union about potential job losses following the announcement that they would strike at the end of the month.
Ryanair faced a series of strikes which affected thousands of passengers last summer.
A few weeks ago, Ryanair was voted the UK’s worst airline for a sixth year in a row – but the carrier says its prices mean demand has never been higher.