Ryanair has cut the price of a course for new pilots to fly its 737 planes, the airline's operations chief said Wednesday, as it tries to avoid more staffing problems. Ryanair was forced to cancel thousands of flights last year as it did not have enough standby pilots to ensure the smooth running of its schedule. While Ryanair has denied there was a pilot shortage, COO Peter Bellew said the move would help Ryanair grow without fresh problems. "What we're going to do now for the next couple of years is we're going to get ahead of the game," he said, adding that even if Ryanair chose to expand a bit quicker than planned, "we're not going to have any limiting resource around pilots." Pilots wishing to join Ryanair will have to pay E5,000 for their so-called type rating course to fly the 737, down from E29,500. <br/>
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Ryanair is more optimistic that flights between the UK and the EU will not come to a grinding halt when the country leaves the bloc (Brexit) in March 2019. CMO Kenny Jacobs said progress has been made in Brexit negotiations in recent weeks. In the past, Ryanair had predicted a complete cessation of air services between the UK and the EU if a suitable agreement is not reached between the two sides. Jacobs said that recent comments by UK prime minister Theresa May that the UK would continue to have close relations with EASA means the negotiations over the aviation sector appear to be heading in the right direction. He added that discussions with other major airlines at the Airlines for Europe lobbying body in Brussels March 6 had also encouraged the carrier. <br/>
Virgin Atlantic's CE said he was confident a deal would be done to secure Britain's flying rights after Brexit, as the airline launched an extra legroom economy seat to try to stand out from the crowd amid intense competition. British airlines want to be able to continue to benefit from EU flying rights after Brexit, and the British govt has said it will try to secure an open-access deal, but a recent Financial Times report suggested the UK was encountering problems in its negotiations. Craig Kreeger, the CE of Virgin, which primarily flies between the UK and North America, said he believed Britain would secure a deal similar to what it already has under the EU-US Open Skies agreement. "I’ve heard from both govts, I remain completely confident that we’re on track... to be able to fly, in an Open Skies-like way," he said. <br/>
Vietnam’s FLC Group announced an order for 24 Airbus A321neos for its yet-to-be-launched carrier Bamboo Airways, in a deal valued at US$3.1b at current list prices. The memorandum of understanding is subject to Bamboo Airways gaining Vietnamese govt approval to launch. The order is expected to be delivered between 2022 and 2025 if confirmed. The Hanoi-based group said last year it was talking to Boeing about a mix of 737 MAX 9s and 777Xs for the airline, but has decided to go with Airbus instead. FLC said it intends to order a further 24 Airbuses, this time the A321LR long range model. Bamboo Airways is aiming for a “hybrid model” combining both low cost and full fare offerings. FLC said last year that it would launch in late 2018, subject to the award of an air transport license by the Vietnamese govt. <br/>
GOL reported a BRL378.2m (US$114m) net profit for 2017, a 65.7% drop from BRL1.1b in 2016 net income, as the company paid BRL547m in deferred income taxes during the year. GOL’s full-year revenue totaled BRL10.6b, up 7.2% year-over-year driven by a 3.6% increase in passenger traffic and 4.8% higher stage-lengths, despite a 7% rise in average airfares. Cargo and other revenue (including excess baggage fees) increased 16.2% related, GOL said, to improvements in Brazil’s economy seen in the latter half of the year. Rising fuel prices contributed to a 3.7% rise in GOL’s CASK for the full year. GOL’s operating expenses were up 4.6% to BRL9.6b as fuel expenses rose 7.1% YOY. However, maintenance materials and repairs expenses dropped 37.8% and labour expenses increased by only a modest 3.1%. <br/>
WestJet has been ordered to stop its current hiring practices for its new ULCC Swoop, the ALPA union said. ALPA said the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) had sided with pilots in a March 2 interim order against the airline. The CIRB decision includes “a cease and desist warning regarding management’s attempted hiring practices for Swoop,” ALPA said. The CIRB ruling came after the pilot union applied for an interim order against WestJet and WestJet Encore Airlines. There is also an unfair labour practice complaint still under consideration by the Board. “It’s unfortunate that management refused to acknowledge our union and that govt intervention was required, but this was a great win for both pilot groups,” Ryan Petrie, WestJet Encore’s MEC chairman said. <br/>
A procedural ruling by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has revealed that Norwegian Air has applied to serve Canada starting this summer. The CTA ruling, published March 5, gives Norwegian the green light to sell tickets flights to and from Canada before receiving all necessary Canadian govt approvals. “The applicant has applied for a scheduled international license to operate a service between member states of the European Community and Canada,” CTA explained, adding that Norwegian “intends to commence commercial activities” in Canada July 23. CTA, noting that Transport Canada “advises” that Norwegian will be granted approvals “in time for the proposed start-up date,” approved Norwegian’s request. Norwegian has not announced plans to serve Canada. <br/>