Ryanair will offer direct employment to some German pilots currently working under contract, as a recruitment specialist ends its services for the carrier in the country. “Ryanair has now begun the process of offering these contractors direct employment,” the airline said after McGinley Aviation wrote to air crew confirming its withdrawal. McGinley MD Elizabeth Cusack said that her firm reached the decision itself following an operational review and will continue serving Ryanair in all other countries. The switch may help pave the way for a unionisation deal between the airline and its German pilots after they staged the first strike in the company’s history Dec 22. The 4-hour stoppage was called after a breakdown in talks with the Vereinigung Cockpit labour group over the transition to collective bargaining. <br/>
unaligned
The Civil Aviation Administration of China has asked HNA Group’s airline businesses to pay overdue bills, including amounts owed for jet fuel and airport fees, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Authorities from the nation’s air-safety regulator had met with executives of the conglomerate to push for the payments, the person said. The regulator has refrained from further actions to avoid disruptions to flight operations and inconvenience to passengers, the person said. Representatives for Hainan Airlines and HNA Group couldn’t immediately comment. Earlier this month, Mingtiandi reported that the group’s Hainan Airlines received an ultimatum from a state-backed fuel supplier to pay all the arrears or have deliveries cut off within days. <br/>
IAG CE Willie Walsh has said the board is keen to pursue the more ambitious of 2 possible plans for long-haul LCC Level. The first saw Level operating 15 aircraft by 2022, while the second had a 30-aircraft fleet. Walsh said the board liked the 30-aircraft option, even though the management team was only seeking clearance for 15 aircraft. “Norwegian has proved that the customer model works,” Walsh said. IAG is yet to commit to Level’s future fleet mix. The Airbus A330 is “working well” for Level, but Walsh said it is unlikely the 30 aircraft will all be A330s. The group has 4 more A330-200s on order, plus 3 options. IAG has flexibility, because it could reallocate some of its existing aircraft orders to Level. Walsh mentioned A350s and Boeing 787s as possible alternatives to the A330ceo. <br/>