Ryanair was dealt a blow in its legal battle to force employees across Europe to take disputes to the Irish courts after the European Court of Justice ruled that cabin crew based in other countries could pursue legal claims locally. Analysts suggested it could call the carrier’s employment model into question, leading to potentially higher labour costs. It could also open the door to new claims from crew in other countries over terms and conditions. Ryanair insisted, however, that there would be no change to its practice of employing staff across Europe on Irish contracts, which give the carrier cost-effective benefits over some other EU countries. While the jurisdiction had been decided by Thursday’s ruling, the battle now would be to decide whether Irish law would still apply, regardless of the jurisdiction. <br/>
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Ryanair is preparing a binding takeover bid for Alitalia but has no interest in Air Berlin, according to its CE, Michael O’Leary. O’Leary said Ryanair was finalising the details of a deal that would be just the second major acquisition in the airline’s 33-year history. Alitalia’s brand and long-haul operations would survive the takeover but Ryanair, which prefers to own its aircraft, would jettison Alitalia’s model of leasing planes. O’Leary said he hoped any deal would see Alitalia pilots and crew keep their jobs, but signalled that they would have to accept altered employment terms in line with Ryanair’s own. Air Berlin is also on the block but O’Leary said he had no interest in making a bid, repeating previous accusations that it was a stitch-up designed to make Lufthansa stronger. <br/>
Ryanair could be forced to find alternative holiday destinations after Europe was hit by mass anti-tourist riots by left-wing groups. The airline said they will look to “diversify” the routes they transport tourists along amid outbreaks of angry protests by disgruntled residents sick of their home towns and cities becoming tourist traps. Barcelona and other Spanish regions including San Sebastian and Mallorca saw the worst of the backlash against the supposed mass tourism affecting their local culture, as the country experienced a record 75.6m tourists just last year. During Wednesday, Ryanair was urged to promote "alternative destinations" and "decentralise tourism” to stem so-called tourism-phobia. It comes after the airline announced 5 new routes from Madrid starting next summer. <br/>
Smoke appeared in the cockpit of an EasyJet flight due to an electrical fault known to the manufacturer, an investigation has found. EasyJet was unaware 10 similar failures had been reported previously, according to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). The captain and first officer became aware of smoke and fumes 11 minutes after taking off from Edinburgh Nov 28, 2016. The pilots were forced to wear their oxygen masks, issue a mayday alert and divert the Airbus A320 to Newcastle. The source of the smoke was traced to an overheated device which converts voltage in the cockpit, the AAIB found. Airbus did transmit warnings about the problem but they were in a format used for "information" rather than "instructions" and were not routinely reviewed by EasyJet. <br/>
Eurowings and the UFO flight attendants union have signed a collective agreement that will enable the carrier to grow rapidly. The labour deal will allow Eurowings to hire external staff on short notice and enable the carrier to offer all external applicants competitive pay conditions. “At the same time, there will be no disadvantages for existing staff,” Eurowings executive director-HR and finance Jörg Beissel said. The collective agreement also covers pay increases for all 1,400 cabin staff as well as profit-sharing and the introduction of an employer-financed company pension scheme. Both agreements will be submitted for approval in the coming weeks Eurowings plans to hire 600 crewmembers, comprising 200 pilots and 400 cabin crew members, as its fleet expands to a further 20 Airbus A320s. <br/>
After contract negotiations broke down Sept 9, pilots for Spirit Airlines voted unanimously Sept 13 to authorise a strike if further mediation efforts are unproductive. According to the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents Spirit pilots, if and when the National Mediation board (NMB) decides that additional talks are ineffectual, the NMB can extend an offer to arbitrate the dispute. If either side declines arbitration, the parties enter a 30-day cooling off period, after which both sides could exercise self-help, whether it is a strike by the pilots or a lockout by the company. Spirit pilots would legally be able to strike once that 30-day cooling-off period expires, ALPA said. At this time, no additional mediation sessions are scheduled, ALPA said. <br/>
Lack of slots at Hong Kong International and reliability problems involving the Airbus A320neo’s Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines have hindered progress at HK Express. HK Express is North Asia’s first operator of the Airbus A320neo, and the first to fly it in a high-density, 188-seat configuration. Durability deficiencies, particularly in the A320neos’ PW1100Gs, have included premature wear of combustor liners and leaking oil seals. “We were supposed to receive another 2 A320neos before the summer, but have declined to accept them for a limited period, until these issues have been addressed,” said HK Express CE Andrew Cowen. He added that the deferment of the A320neos meant the airline would run short of aircraft during the busy summer period. “We should [have had] 8 by end of 2017". <br/>
The chief of Hawaiian Airlines says the FAA has certified the Airbus A321neo's Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM engine for extended over-water flights. The news bodes well for Hawaiian's plans to launch A321neo service in Jan 2018 and become the first North American operator of the P&W-powered A321neo. Challenges remain – Airbus has still not delivered the first aircraft, and Hawaiian requires FAA certification to operate the type. But CE Mark Dunkerley remains confident the first aircraft will arrive in October and that Hawaiian will begin flights as planned. Dunkerley adds the FAA has been "very helpful" by allowing Hawaiian to begin the A321neo operations certificate process prior to delivery of the first aircraft, helping minimise the period between delivery and start-of-service. <br/>