Ryanair fuel ration angers pilots

[Sweetpea]

Ryanair pilots have denounced as “insane” attempts to pressurise them into flying with less fuel by imposing a cap on their safety reserves.
The low-cost airline is saving money by curbing the discretionary rights of pilots to request extra fuel.

The disclosure, made in internal company documents seen by The Sunday Times, has led to claims that the safety of passengers is being compromised as the price of oil soars.

Details of Ryanair’s policies emerged as the Civil Aviation Authority revealed that the number of emergencies declared in British airspace because of fuel shortages had doubled in five years. Last year, 27 planes were given the right to make priority landings, up from 11 in 2003.

There were also 18 “May-days” caused by fuel shortages in the same period, when British airports had to go on an emergency footing with fire engines on the runway.
Under European rules, every plane must carry a “contingency” load of about 5% of a trip’s fuel, and enough to divert to an alternative airport. Across the airline industry, captains also have a duty to anticipate delays from headwinds, storms and rerouting, and to request extra fuel to cope with this.
Pilots at Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost airline, must now abide by a limit of 300kg of extra fuel, costing £180. This provides about five minutes of extra stacking time for a Boeing 737.

Ryanair fuel ration angers pilots - Times Online


Ryanair are a bunch of unscrupulous big headed, know it all gits!!

They think they are God, and make me so damn angry with their cocky ways.

How DARE THEY, compromise our safety like this.

[Churchill]

Bein that your other half works in Aviation, I'm sure he might agree that with every cutback goes a little bt of safety. Anyway, the pilots can legally refuse to fly if it's as bad as they're saying.

[Sweetpea]

With Ryanair they can't, they just get sacked. They should have enough in reserve to make an alternate airport.

[Churchill]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

With Ryanair they can't, they just get sacked. They should have enough in reserve to make an alternate airport.

Ryan Air are taking a big legal risk then, aside from the safety implications.

[Sweetpea]

It would seem that way, but hubs says the media will exagerate.

[terrywit]

airline pilot = ponced up coach driver