LONDON: Ryanair said it would allow Britain’s pilots’ association to start negotiating on issues such as pay and holidays after the Irish budget airline recognized a trade union for the first time in its 32-year history.
Europe’s biggest budget airline was forced last year to recognize unions in order to avoid a Christmas strike, after it had to cancel 20,000 flights earlier in the year due to a shortage of standby pilots.
Ryanair thanked the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) for its constructive engagement and called on others around Europe to follow suit.
“Given Ryanair’s previous hostility toward unions, today’s agreement is a historic one,” Brian Strutton, General Secretary of BALPA, said in a statement.
“While we were initially skeptical about Ryanair’s sincerity in offering recognition to us and other unions, our conversations and meetings with them have shown that they are genuine in wanting a constructive trade union relationship.”
BALPA said it would open an election for representatives among its members to lead negotiations with Ryanair on pay, holidays and the rostering of pilots. Issues with pilot rostering triggered last year’s mass flight cancelations.
Ryanair is negotiating with other unions across Europe, who have demanded to meet collectively with Ryanair, saying that individual talks were unsatisfactory. The airline has so far refused those demands.
“We now call on these unions to stop wasting time and act quickly to deliver 20 percent pay increases to our pilots in February, and conclude formal recognition agreements, which they are presently sitting on,” Eddie Wilson, chief people officer at Ryanair, said in a statement.
Pilots at all Ryanair’s UK bases have voted to accept Ryanair’s proposed pay increase, with pilots at Stansted approving the package earlier this month. Those votes were separate to negotiations with BALPA.
BALPA’s Strutton also said that he hoped Ryanair would be able to agree deals with other European unions soon.
“I am hopeful that this is (the) beginning of a strong and mutually beneficial relationship between BALPA and Ryanair and I urge Ryanair to agree deals with pilot unions in other countries and with cabin crew unions,” Strutton said.
Ryanair agrees to recognize British pilots union for first time
Ryanair agrees to recognize British pilots union for first time
RLC Global Forum 2026 opens, leading the agenda for transformation in retail industry
RIYADH: The RLC Global Forum 2026 opened in Riyadh on Feb. 3, aiming to shape the future of retail and consumer-facing industries by bringing together the most influential leaders from across the sector.
Addressing the opening session, Panos Linardos, chairman of RLC Global Forum, said: “We meet at a moment that feels fundamentally different from just a few years ago. Growth today is no longer linear. It is no longer evenly distributed. And it is no longer guaranteed.
“We find ourselves at what we call a growth crossroads, a moment where traditional models are under pressure, geopolitical dynamics are reshaping trade and investment, and leadership choices carry longer-lasting consequences.”
He added that at the 2025 event, the discussions were focused on trust and collaboration in a time of disruption.
“This year, the environment is more fragmented, more volatile, and more urgent,” he said, explaining that supply chains are shifting, consumer expectations are moving faster than organizations, and capital is more selective.
Linardos also stated that the boundaries between retail, real estate, technology, policy, and culture “are increasingly blurred.”
At a growth crossroads, progress is a shared responsibility requiring clarity, coordination, and balanced leadership, he said adding over the next two days, the forum will bring together global CEOs, retailers, and real estate leaders, as well as policymakers, academics, investors, and innovators.
“The purpose is clear: to examine how growth is being rebuilt, where it is being redefined, and what leadership looks like in this new context,” the forum chairman said.
Linardos set out details of the NextGen retail challenge, which is developed with the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University and Monsha’at.
Vice Minister of Economy and Planning Ammar Nagadi used his opening remarks to put his perspective on how economic choices translate into competitiveness and long-term value is especially timely for the discussions ahead.
The 2026 forum is exploring six defining themes that capture the transformation reshaping global trade, consumption, and leadership: Growth in a Reordered World, AI and the Power of Multipliers, Global South as Growth Engine, Experience as Growth Infrastructure, Future Consumer Order, and Leadership Beyond Resilience.
