Agreement reached between pilots and Ryanair
An agreement has been reached between Ryanair and Irish-based pilots.
Talks between the airline and pilot's union Fórsa began yesterday and ended at 7.30am this morning after a 22-hour negotiating session.
The proposed agreement will now go to ballot, with a recommendation for acceptance from Fórsa and its Ryanair pilot representatives.
The union has been asked by facilitator Kieran Mulvey to make no public comment while the ballot is conducted.
Pilots’ union Fórsa says agreement has been reached in Ryanair dispute
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) August 23, 2018
In a statement, Ryanair confirmed that an agreement had been reached with Fórsa and its Irish-based pilots' committee.
Ryanair said that it will the proposals to its Board "in due course" after pilots have voted and signed the agreement.
It also said that mediator Kieran Mulvey had asked both sides to refrain from making further comment and that the airline "will respect his wishes".
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) August 23, 2018
Around 100 Irish-based Ryanair pilots took part in five days of strike action throughout the summer in a dispute over seniority, base transfers and annual leave.
Thousands of passengers across Ireland and Europe were affected by flight cancellations as 24-hour pickets were also held in Germany, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) have welcomed today's announcement, saying it was "relieved" and that the agreement "will stand for the long-term".
Pat Dawson, CEO of the ITAA, said: "Since the industrial dispute was announced, thousands of holidaymakers have faced uncertainty with travel plans and often incurred additional costs during the peak tourism season.
"Paramount to ITAA members is a continued, reliable service for holidaymakers and we look forward to an improved travel experience for our customers flying with Ryanair.”
“We are hoping that both the pilot’s ballot and the Ryanair Board will support the stipulations reached by the negotiating parties as soon as possible,” he said.
