Ryanair hit with its first pilot strike, in Germany

Ryanair was hit by the first strike in its company history Friday after pilots in Germany staged a 4-hour walkout, days after the airline agreed to recognise unions but talks fell apart. The strike appeared to cause limited disruption to Ryanair’s passengers. The company said that 9 of its morning flights leaving from Germany had been delayed, but that none had been canceled. The union deemed the strike a success, nonetheless, saying that it had put pressure on the company’s management. “They had to work all night to mitigate the consequences of the strike and there were nearly no consequences for the passengers,” a spokesman for Vereinigung Cockpit said Friday. “It was a win-win situation; we hit the company without hitting the passengers.” <br/>