German union Verdi will meet Ryanair in Dublin Wednesday to start pay talks for around 1,000 cabin crew working in Germany for the airline, it said. Verdi is seeking a substantial pay increase for cabin crew, it said Monday, and wants Ryanair to recognise German law and pay social security contributions. "Through seasonal shifts and a lack of guaranteed flight hours, some full-time employees receive gross pay of only around E1,000 a month. That's completely unacceptable," Verdi board member Christine Behle said. Ryanair disputed that figure. "Our pilots earn up to E190,000 in Germany (and up to E200,000 across Europe), and our cabin crew earn up to E40,000 and enjoy excellent working conditions including favourable rosters and unmatched job security," a spokesman said. <br/>
unaligned
Southwest Airlines would limit emotional support animals to only dogs and cats on its flights and will allow one per passenger, the airline said Tuesday as it updated its service animal policies. The emotional support animal must remain in a carrier or be on a leash at all times, Southwest said, adding that customers traveling with pets will need to present a complete letter from a medical doctor or licensed mental health professional on the day of the departure. Airlines have started to tighten policies to fly animals on growing concerns about passengers bringing aboard exotic pets that could pose a safety risk. There are also growing complaints of some passengers falsely claiming pets as emotional support or psychiatric service animals to avoid paying. <br/>
Jazeera Airways said revenue and profit grew in the first half of the year, helped by a 50% increase in passengers, thanks to route launches and aircraft additions. The airline said net profit rose 6.4% compared with the first half of 2017 to KD1.4m (US$4.6m). The airline flew 894,172 passengers in the first half, a 50% increase year-on-year and operating revenue rose 43% to KD34.4m. Load factor gained 2.8 points to 74.7%. Chairman Marwan Boodai said the efforts and investments throughout 2017 and 2018 are “delivering results, despite the hike in fuel prices during the first half of the year and a volatile competitive landscape that depressed yields.” The airline has added 2 Airbus A320 aircraft, of which one is an A320neo, in 2018 so far. The arrival of the A320neo opens up more distant destinations to Jazeera Airways. <br/>