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Ryanair
Ireland | Low-Cost 
Add ReviewCould be the best but...
3.9Captain - Current employee
Recommended to other Pilots Positive business outlook
Approval of managementPros
- Puts you on a 737 RHS straight from flight school - Command upgrade opportunity granted (unless you "FU" big time) - Fixed roster - Chance of working from or nearby your place of origin thanks to a widespread network of bases. Commuting also doable thanks to fixed roster. - Additional qualifications opportunities (Line training Captain, synthetic flight instructor) - Very good maintenance and training (young fleet and very SOP oriented airline which is usually very appreciated by possible future employers ie. Middle East) - No upper pressure when it comes to operational decisions (ie. fuel, diversions, tech, etc.) Non punitive company culture. - Great variety of destinations (entire Europe + north Africa, large and minor airports) - Secure airline, probably will remain one of the few doing short to medium range in Europe.
Cons
- As a Captain you may often fly with inexperienced folks which will require extra attention. - When you upgrade you will most likely have to change base which can be a burden. - Line training Captains are overworked despite the role being very demanding and tricky. - Very tight schedule, 25' turnaround block on to block off are 8/10 times unfeasible. Combination of flights in you FDP are planned assuming you are the only airplane in the world and all airport services waiting for it which will lead you to incur in frequent delays especially in peak period, but that's fine cause there is CD (in management's mind). - HR won't walk the extra mile (nor half) for you. If they accomodate a request it's because it does not affect their plans (or for some reason they have to ie. by law). If it does forget, about it. - You pay and arrange for your own accommodation during recurrent training&checking. Same applies to recurrent medical checks (to be taken care of in your days OFF).
Advice to management
It is what it is. Nobody (whom worked long enough for the airline) expect things to dramatically change. If it's your cup of tea, fair enough, if it ain't, just pass.
Advice to future employees
This is based on my personal experience at the time I wrote. You can ask a thousand people and get a thousand different replies. Terms&conditions will greatly vary depending on the country you will end up being based in. Read the pros&cons again and make up your mind.
Strong airline with different life styles in different countries
4.0First Officer - Current employeeRecommended to other Pilots Positive business outlookApproval of managementPros
That’s a huge airline with a lot of destinations and people from all over the world with different experiences. The fleet is quite new and keeps growing. The SOP’s are very well structured and the training is quite good. The fixed roster allows to plan a life. If something goes wrong or if for any reason an overnight is needed, the quality of the hotels is quite high. Same for the out of bases. According to the base you get and the country you’re in you will have a different contract, also changing between AOC’s. Generally speaking the salaries aren’t bad at all. Commuting is generally easy thanks to the huge network they have. There’s a good scheme for staff travel tickets for employees and family. Is not the best but it’s ok to be fair.
Cons
A lot of times there’s no support from the airline. If you get based abroad you will need to arrange all the bureaucratic staff on your own. When you ask for something most of the time you don’t even get a decent answer. It really depends of who you find on the other side of the phone/computer. Most of them aren’t really nice. The basing system is a bit confusing, especially after line training. It’s not easy to understand why some people get better bases than others, it’s probably random but who knows. Changing base it’s possible of course, but can take a long time. There is no crew meal at all which is crazy, we only have 2lt of water a day.
Advice to management
More care to the employees would be appreciated, especially by HR for bureaucratic staff which we don’t know and don’t have to know how to do. If you send people where they don’t wanna be at least help them out in solving things they have to do because of you. Consider introducing a crew meal, it’s no big deal, other low cost airlines do it as well.
Advice to future employees
If you’re looking for an airline to make a lot of good experience, to probably stay close to home, allowing you to have a life and making good money, this airline will fit you. Be aware tho, things will come with time in Ryanair. You cannot expect to get the best money and the base you want right after you join. There’s a seniority they have to respect and it’s not easy to make everybody happy in such a big airline. If you prefer to see the world a bit and not work much, look for something else.
Company review
2.9First Officer - Current employeeRecommended to other Pilots Positive business outlookApproval of managementPros
Good growth, a lot of destinations, new airplanes, really good maintenance, very good training system, good SOP culture, wide range of career opportunities inside the company, amazing roster 5 on 4 off.
Cons
Tight turnaround schedule, always 4 sector days close to limit FTL, missing support of the company on general work related problems, aircraft have no additional options like sunshades and no onboard meals for crews, extreme long duties, missing help from the management in case of problems, sometimes messed up organisation for out of base transportation and proper hotel accommodation, additional duty hours not paid on fair price, instability of base openings and closings, type ratings to be paid in advance by cadet,…
Advice to management
Change treatment of pilots and CC, overthink the crew/aircraft ratio (missing pilots, extreme duties for the few of them). Give the crews like other companies a proper profit share if the financial numbers are reached. Think about some privileges that help the crews during long duty times (food, accomodation,…).
Advice to future employees
Good first job, if you are lucky with the permanent base and contract then ok, otherwise it is really bad. This company give a great base for the career. There is a high fluctuation of pilots, this can change your base allocation…
The worst company in the world
1.2Captain - Former employeeRecommended to other Pilots Positive business outlookApproval of managementPros
There is none pros
Cons
bad managament
Advice to management
close
Advice to future employees
Don't even waste your time talking to them
Perfect airline for depressing
2.3First Officer - Current employeeRecommended to other Pilots Positive business outlookApproval of managementPros
-High diversity of destination (depends on the base) -Crew
Cons
-Worst HR ever. Had to beg them to be paid the first months flying, no answer to replies, no consideration, payslip full of mistakes... -Very hard to contact someone in the company if you have a problem. Ryanair has an internal system in which nobody answer. can send them 10 times your queries: no answer. Perfect when you need help -No information: no idea of what to expect for incoming months. Particularly during cadet training -Had to pay for everything. Even the drug test (50) -rebased at the last minute. Have been aware of it 4 days before being transfered -low paid compared to what you need to pay to work for them. A cadet may expect to spend a total of 45000 before receiving the first pay: 30000 type rating + 5000 licence, uniform, ID card, etc + 5000 for living in UK during the 3 months training + 5000 of miscellaneous payment Then expect a monthly pay of 2000 -etc...
Advice to management
Buy a soul
Advice to future employees
Please, guys, I understand that the promise to fly 737 when you desperately try to find a first job looks awesome compared to Ryanair cons. But for sur, you'll regret it. It's easy to think you will join ryanair just to build hours. But bad things happend as soon as the first month working for them. When you are stuck in a base you didn't ask for, with very expensive house rents and low pay, far from home and family, with lots of difficulties to comute home, you will reconsider your pilot carreer and how you see the pilot life. This is Hours building Vs mental health
Awful everything
2.6First Officer - Current employeeRecommended to other Pilots Positive business outlookApproval of managementPros
The crew
Cons
Everything, worst company Ive ever worked for including part time ones while in college
Advice to management
Get a new CEO and respect staff
Advice to future employees
Just dont join please because you will regret it. Management hate pilots and your nothing more than a cost to them. I know current employees who want to give up flying because of Ryanair.
Avoid it
2.0Captain - Former employeeRecommended to other Pilots Positive business outlookApproval of managementPros
Stable roster
Cons
Poor training, horrible working environment
Advice to management
To disappear from the face of this planet
Advice to future employees
Avoid it
