General Ryanair discusion

Cookiemunster

adam88 wrote: »

How long on average do they keep their frames????

I’m not too familiar with the maintenance but I know there’s a b c etc checks and one of these can cost millions to complete. Do they offload them before these are required ??

billy few mates wrote: »

Eight years is the optimum length of time to keep an airframe for tax purposes and avoidance of other major maintenance events like landing gear replacement at ten years.

Ryanair have over 150 planes older than 10 years in the fleet (nearly 250 are over 8 years old). EI-DAC the oldest in the fleet (outside the oddball 700) is 16.8 years old. The idea that they get rid of them all early is a myth.

rivegauche

Aviation spares aren't cheap. They aren't like a set of wheel bearings for a ford fiesta for a tenner. maintenance costs money.
Here is the grand plan as far as I can see it.
Get rid of old airframes while prices are artifically high due to 737 max grounding and greater demand for middle aged planes from new markets around the world.
Get rid of staff on old 737 ng and rehire gradually if needed.
Thin out the least profitable routes with maybe more shorter distance routes from more central wealthier European locations to push passenger numbers higher.
Drive competitors out of business and snap up their production slots at a discount once the new plane is given the all-clear from the regulators and Boeing will give them the discount because they can pay and can take delivery.
Remember that Boeing is just after announcing a 2.9 billion loss in the second quarter. They need good news.

Ryanair are going to replicate their masterstroke of placing a big order after 9/11

https://www.thejournal.ie/ryanair-raises-850-million-on-bond-market-1510089-Jun2014/
Most nations outside the EU would be happy to get a bond away at a rate like that; 1.875%

rivegauche

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Ryanair have over 150 planes older than 10 years in the fleet (nearly 250 are over 8 years old). EI-DAC the oldest in the fleet (outside the oddball 700) is 16.8 years old. The idea that they get rid of them all early is a myth.

You neglect to mention that they have a fleet of around 450 planes or more and the age profile is only old at the moment because they held off ordering 737Max for so long to get a good deal.
You neglect to mention the ones with few cycles used to ferry tourists from Northern Europe to Southern Europe on bucket and spade trips.
Without knowing the exact details I'd expect they have about 50 planes which are fast running out of cycles before major maintenance is required.

Beersmith

So whats with MOL saying they have 500 too many pilots and 400 too many cabin crew. Wasn't it only last year they had maxed out their pilots hours? I thought they couldn't get enough pilots?

rivegauche

No pilot will object to switching over to the better paid seat once she has clicked up enough hours and experience. They are paying good money i.e. market competitive and if the base suits they offer the best realistic quality of life for many pilots in terms of shift pattern and homelife. They are spinning up a production line of pilots in Poland who will be ready when they need them - think clone wars. They are not completely neglecting HR which is something they did in the past.
He wouldn't be firing pilots if he didn't think he could recruit replacements later when he needs them.
He is gambling but it is a calculated gamble. If he drives other airlines out of business over coming winters his gamble will probably pay off. He'll double the share price and get massive stock options.

billy few mates

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Ryanair have over 150 planes older than 10 years in the fleet (nearly 250 are over 8 years old). EI-DAC the oldest in the fleet (outside the oddball 700) is 16.8 years old. The idea that they get rid of them all early is a myth.

I didn't say Ryanair got rid of aeroplanes at eight years, I said eight years was the optimum age to get rid of them.

Cookiemunster

billy few mates wrote: »

I didn't say Ryanair got rid of aeroplanes at eight years, I said eight years was the optimum age to get rid of them.

It wasn't aimed at you, I was just using your post to make a point.

billie1b

Beersmith wrote: »

So whats with MOL saying they have 500 too many pilots and 400 too many cabin crew. Wasn't it only last year they had maxed out their pilots hours? I thought they couldn't get enough pilots?

He talks out of both sides of his mouth, they held 30 different recruitment drives all over Europe this month for c/c and hired 30 new recruits from each drive they had, thats 900 new cabin crew, they reckon on average 70% of them make it through which is 630 people, plus they have more open days planned for Sept/Oct. They also hold pilot recruitment drives all the time, and new pilots are constantly in for training and being hired. It’s the usual MOL scaremongering at this time of year

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Eh, Willie already did that and it's doubtful Boeing will give Ryanair such a deal again. Fool me once and all that.

For someone who claims so much knowledge in this field you drastically misunderstand the industry.
Experienced pilots arnt something that grow on trees, even cheap Polish trees.

If MOL axes hundreds of flight crew this coming season in order to allow for a quiet Summer of 2020 then all he'll do is boost staff levels at the competitor airlines.
Last year when he threatened to axe jobs in Dublin (the same threat tactic again) it boosted staff levels in Aer Lingus, easyJet, Jet2 and British Airways. What kind of moron thinks loosing pilots is a sound strategy in the current market?!

The above airlines are all experiencing record profits and are making the most of this current aviation boom period. Ryanair on the other hand is too busy fumbling in the dirt and squabbling with staff to see the big picture.
Profits come from growth.Growth requires more crew not less.

The genie is out of the bottle regarding unions. MOL let them in the door and so he now has to negotiate with them.like a grown up.
Enough of this threatening behaviour and intimidation towards staff. It won't work anymore!

IngazZagni

This is a pretty extreme way of dealing with staff issues.
What doesn’t make sense to me is how Ryanair still plan on increasing traffic numbers this winter vs last winter. 153 million FY20 pax vs 154 million previously guided before the Max issues. So where are the 500 pilots too many in that 1 million pax? Did they hire pilots on the assumption there would still be massive turnover? Yet they continue to sign new training contracts across Europe to help hire up to 1,000 new pilots every year for the next 5 years. Don’t take my word for it, that comes from their head of training just last week!

https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/ryanair-launches-major-pilot-training-programme-in-central-europe

Clearly there is more than meets the eye here. Remember they threatened to sack every single one of their Irish based pilots this time last year due to reductions over the winter? How did that go? They actually expanded.

Winter reductions happen every year. There’s always over 100 planes sitting on the ground doing nothing all day over winter. The Max issues shouldn’t affect capacity this winter. It will affect the rate of expansion from April 2020 though.

rivegauche

You can doubt his reasons but he is doing it.
The commuter route between Cologne and Berlin is being cancelled. That isn't a bucket and spade route which can only be filled in summer.
last time it was cancelled was when he didn't have enough staff. This time he has plenty of staff.

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rivegauche wrote:

You can doubt his reasons but he is doing it. The commuter route between Cologne and Berlin is being cancelled. That isn't a bucket and spade route which can only be filled in summer. last time it was cancelled was when he didn't have enough staff. This time he has plenty of staff.

Speaking to a pilot just out of Ryanair's Wings ceremony today. As you can imagine he and the other attendees were curious as to why the company was celebrating their arrival into Ryanair while their CEO is declaring mass redundancies?!
The answer he received was management weren't really going to fire anyone.

rivegauche

View Profile wrote: »

Speaking to a pilot just out of Ryanair's Wings ceremony today. As you can imagine he and the other attendees were curious as to why the company was celebrating their arrival into Ryanair while their CEO is declaring mass redundancies?!
The answer he received was management weren't really going to fire anyone.

Then O'Leary could be accused of deceiving the markets.
That pilot can be fired for no reason in the first 12 months of entering a contract with Ryanair.

1123heavy

rivegauche wrote: »

Then O'Leary could be accused of deceiving the markets.
That pilot can be fired for no reason in the first 12 months of entering a contract with Ryanair.

He'd be serving a life sentence by now if he was taken to task on it from the start.

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rivegauche wrote: »

Then O'Leary could be accused of deceiving the markets.
That pilot can be fired for no reason in the first 12 months of entering a contract with Ryanair.

He is.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/ryanair-and-o-leary-being-sued-by-us-pension-fund-1.3689982

rivegauche

Portuguese Cabin Crew will strike between 21st and 25th August. This will partially prove whether Ryanair is overstaffed or not.

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/ryanair/cabin-crew-portugal-strike-21-25-august/

billie1b

rivegauche wrote: »

Portuguese Cabin Crew will strike between 21st and 25th August. This will partially prove whether Ryanair is overstaffed or not.

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/ryanair/cabin-crew-portugal-strike-21-25-august/

Won’t prove a thing, they’ll just 9 other crew from other bases to cover flights if they need it

Jamie2k9

Suggestion/Rumour posted elsewhere Belfast, Cork and Faro bases to close.

If true Cork is a real surprise though it really just operates STN in winter.

davepatr07

What’s the chances of a strike happening on the 22nd? I’m heading to Munich from DUB. Tks

Locker10a

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Suggestion/Rumour posted elsewhere Belfast, Cork and Faro bases to close.

If true Cork is a real surprise though it really just operates STN in winter.

Faro is no surprise, apparently it’s quite a pricy airport to operate to/from, and they aren’t likely to fold under pressure from Ryanair to do a deal on fees because there’s no shortage of other airlines operating there. Very busy airport in the summer.

billy few mates

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2019/0807/1067461-ryanair-to-close-base-at-faro-portugal/

Hopefully this wasn't in retaliation for the base voting to strike...?

kevinandrew

billy few mates wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2019/0807/1067461-ryanair-to-close-base-at-faro-portugal/

Hopefully this wasn't in retaliation for the base voting to strike...?

I'm going to guess it was, very much in keeping with Ryanair's style of business. The company made a similar move when it closed the Eindhoven and Bremen bases last year after a stand off with staff and unions. Officially it was claimed rising costs and lower fares caused by the closures.

billy few mates

They could be busy...

https://m.independent.ie/business/ryanair-pilots-in-uk-vote-for-five-days-of-strike-action-starting-later-this-month-38383970.html

BlackandGreen

Anybody know how likely the Upcoming strikes will effect the Dublin - Eindhoven route on the strike days?

john boye

I'm sure our resident spokesperson will be along shortly to give us the full unblemished truth.

Jack1985

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Suggestion/Rumour posted elsewhere Belfast, Cork and Faro bases to close.

If true Cork is a real surprise though it really just operates STN in winter.

Hopefully they pack in ORK-LGW too and allow a reputable carrier to return to the Cork market.

billy few mates

billy few mates wrote: »

They could be busy...

https://m.independent.ie/business/ryanair-pilots-in-uk-vote-for-five-days-of-strike-action-starting-later-this-month-38383970.html

Due to fly L’pool to Knock on 24 August. Wonder whats the chances for follow on disruption from the previous 2 days of strike action?

Gamb!t

Jack1985 wrote: »

Hopefully they pack in ORK-LGW too and allow a reputable carrier to return to the Cork market.

Whats wrong with the existing setup? I used it a lot last year year and its price and times were ok to me.

Jack1985

Gamb!t wrote: »

Whats wrong with the existing setup? I used it a lot last year year and its price and times were ok to me.

There's a single flight a day with the previous operator forced out when the market was swamped with grossly non competitive undercutting of fares. ORK once had 3 daily flights all packed with easyJet, FR arrived on the scene with two daily flights dumped fares and forced them out, once they left the route dropped to a single daily flight and has remained that way since 2007.

kevinandrew

Gamb!t wrote: »

Jack1985 wrote: »

Hopefully they pack in ORK-LGW too and allow a reputable carrier to return to the Cork market.

Whats wrong with the existing setup? I used it a lot last year year and its price and times were ok to me.

I can only speak for myself but I've always found the timings awful, so much in fact that I've stopped checking with Ryanair altogether for this route. I've just had a look out of curiosity and was surprised to see it was down to a 1x daily flight, that simply cannot compare to Aer Lingus' 4x daily for me. 

While Aer Lingus can be more expensive, especially with LHR being higher yielding on average, the range of timings and the ease of using LHR T2 always win my business.