DUBLIN: Ryanair on Thursday promised its pilots significant improvements in pay and conditions, saying it would exceed rates paid by rivals and improve job security, according to a letter to pilots seen by Reuters.
The Irish airline, the largest in Europe by passenger numbers, has in recent weeks announced the cancelation of thousands of flights, saying it did not have enough standby pilots to ensure the smooth operation of its schedule.
The move has sparked customer outrage and a wage of negative media coverage across Europe.
Unions have said a significant number of pilots have left Ryanair in recent months to get more secure contracts, better pay and improved conditions at rival airlines.
Ryanair last week said reports it had a pilot shortage were false, saying less than 260 of its 4,200 pilots had left so far this year and that it was in the process of hiring 650 more.
On Thursday CEO Michael O’Leary sent a three-page letter to its pilots promising “significant improvements to your rosters, your pay, your basing, your contracts and your career progression over the next 12 months.”
The letter, addressed to “all Ryanair pilots,” said Ryanair would “beat” the pay and job security offered by fellow Boeing 737 operators Jet2 and Norwegian Air Shuttle.
He repeated a promise to increase pilots’ pay by between €5,000 ($5,856) and €10,000 per year at four key bases and to negotiate with pilots at other bases about increases. He also pledged to offer a loyalty bonus of between 6,000 and 12,000 euros for pilots still employed at the airline in 12 months’ time.
But he added a new offer to match local employment conditions where they differ from the Irish contracts under which all Ryanair pilots work, another key demand of the pilots.
Changes to the roster systems would mean that “your days off will really mean days off,” he added.
The conditions mirror demands made in a letter by pilots at a number of Ryanair’s 86 bases last month. While Ryanair does not recognize trade unions, pilots have been using social media to organize in recent months.
The often outspoken O’Leary, who last month said he “would challenge any pilot to explain how this is a difficult job,” praised his pilots in the letter, describing them as “the best in the business.”
He said the critical comments made at last month’s annual general meeting had been misreported and were specifically directed at pilots of competitor airlines and their unions.
— Reuters
Ryanair promises pilots significant improvements in pay, conditions
Ryanair promises pilots significant improvements in pay, conditions
Jordan’s industry fuels 39% of Q2 GDP growth
JEDDAH: Jordan’s industrial sector emerged as a major contributor to economic performance in 2025, accounting for 39 percent of gross domestic product growth in the second quarter and 92 percent of national exports.
Manufactured exports increased 8.9 percent year on year during the first nine months of 2025, reaching 6.4 billion Jordanian dinars ($9 billion), driven by stronger external demand. The expansion aligns with the country’s Economic Modernization Vision, which aims to position the country as a regional hub for high-value industrial exports, the Jordan News Agency, known as Petra, quoted the Jordan Chamber of Industry President Fathi Jaghbir as saying.
Export growth was broad-based, with eight of 10 industrial subsectors posting gains. Food manufacturing, construction materials, packaging, and engineering industries led performance, supported by expanded market access across Europe, Arab countries, and Africa.
In 2025, Jordanian industrial products reached more than 144 export destinations, including emerging Asian and African markets such as Ethiopia, Djibouti, Thailand, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Arab countries accounted for 42 percent of industrial exports, with Saudi Arabia remaining the largest market at 955 million dinars.
Exports to Syria rose sharply to nearly 174 million dinars, while shipments to Iraq and Lebanon totaled approximately 745 million dinars. Demand from advanced markets also strengthened, with exports to India reaching 859 million dinars and Italy about 141 million dinars.
Industrial output also showed steady improvement. The industrial production index rose 1.47 percent during the first nine months of 2025, led by construction industries at 2.7 percent, packaging at 2.3 percent, and food and livestock-related industries at 1.7 percent.
Employment gains accompanied the sector’s expansion, with more than 6,000 net new manufacturing jobs created during the period, lifting total industrial employment to approximately 270,000 workers. Nearly half of the new jobs were generated in food manufacturing, reflecting export-driven growth.
Jaghbir said industrial exports remain among the economy’s highest value-added activities, noting that every dinar invested generates an estimated 2.17 dinars through employment, logistics, finance, and supply-chain linkages. The sector also plays a critical role in narrowing the trade deficit and supporting macroeconomic stability.
Investment activity accelerated across several subsectors in 2025, including food processing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, mining, textiles, and leather, as manufacturers expanded capacity and upgraded production lines to meet rising demand.
Jaghbir attributed part of the sector’s momentum to government measures aimed at strengthening competitiveness and improving the business environment. Key steps included freezing reductions in customs duties for selected industries, maintaining exemptions for production inputs, reinstating tariffs on goods with local alternatives, and imposing a 16 percent customs duty on postal parcels to support domestic producers.
Additional incentives in industrial cities and broader structural reforms were also cited as improving the investment climate, reducing operational burdens, and balancing consumer needs with protection of local industries.
