Ryanair's rivals try to poach its disgruntled crew

Ryanair’s rivals smell blood in the discount giant’s confrontation with its pilots and cabin crew and have pitched ‘Hiring Now’ signs in a bid to siphon off disgruntled staff. BA is extending a pilot hiring drive “in light of industry news,” according to a recruitment manager’s post on LinkedIn, while EasyJet has announced plans to add 1,200 flight attendants. Norwegian Air Shuttle, lambasted by Ryanair last year for luring away scores of flight crew, said online that it’s expanding in Dublin. Ryanair said Wednesday it may fire 300 pilots and cabin crew in Dublin as it pulls a fifth of planes from its home base this winter. Chief People Officer Eddie Wilson has advised staff to move to Poland if they want to safeguard their jobs. Airlines worldwide have been grappling with a general shortage of pilots for years, while the growth of the European discount sector is spurring demand for cabin crew just as Ryanair’s confrontation with its employees heats up.<br/>