Ryanair scrambles to please pilots, customers and investors

Ryanair boss Michael O‘Leary on Thursday scrambled to placate pilots and reassure investors as the airline’s annual general meeting was dominated by the cancellation of 2,000 flights in a “cock-up” that exposed major staffing issues. The often outspoken CEO told investors that no more flights would be cancelled because of rostering issues and that the company’s profit margin would not be affected by the problems that sparked customer outrage and a wave of negative media coverage across Europe. O‘Leary told shareholders he took personal responsibility for the staffing issues and the way the company broke the news to customers, adding that Ryanair’s pilot pay levels may have been too modest in the past. However, he also used the meeting to outline a stick-and-carrot approach to dealing with pilots after some prepared a letter demanding new contracts. “Will there be squabbles with pilots? There may be. They have been happening for about 30 years,” he said. Captains at four under-pressure bases have been offered an extra E10,000 a year in addition to an offer of a E12,000 bonus for those who work an extra 10 days before the end of the year. o'Leary also said he was considering forcing pilots to change their holiday plans and warned that any pilot who failed to show up for work as a form of industrial action would be frozen out of pay talks and denied promotion.<br/>