Ryanair is one of Europe’s largest low-cost carriers and flies to many destinations across the continent. Many aspire to be a part of its crew, with pilots being on demand to support its growing fleet. However, it seems not all is smooth sailing because several pilots are planning to launch a strike against the company.

On Wednesday, Spanish Ryanair pilots announced they will be launching a five-day strike in September. Their strike is their response to the announcement that the airline will be closing five of its hubs in Spain and Portugal.

What caused the pilot strikes

The company announced that it will be closing down their hubs in the Canary Islands, which includes Lanzarote, Tenerife South and Las Palmas. The other two are Girona and Faro in Portugal. Around 100 local pilots can lose their jobs once the hubs are closed down.

According to the pilots union SEPLA, their strike will coincide with the scheduled protests by cabin crews who are fighting against Irish Airlines’ working conditions.

If no deal is agreed upon by both parties this week, pilots will schedule their strikes in September and join the cabin crews also on strike. The schedules for the cabin crew strikes are on September 1, 2, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27 and 29. Meanwhile, the pilots five days of strikes will be on September 19, 20, 22, 27 and 29.

The pilots and the union also said that Ryanair’s decision to close down the hubs are not based on economic or legal reasons.

In their statement to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, “We hope that the company reconsiders its decision, which is not supported by any economic motivations given that Ryanair continues to announce profits year after year.”

They also argue that the closure did not follow legal procedures. The airline did not even give a warning to the workers. SEPLA is also accusing the airline for creating new companies to reduce wages. They gave the example of Ryanair’s subsidiary company Laudamotion, who will be handling the new base in Palma de Mallorca. Buzz Air is also handling the hiring for the airline in the Canary Islands.

Ryanair in a Nutshell

The airline began its operations in 1984 in Swords, Dublin, Ireland. It currently has 419 planes in its service and flies to 36 countries in Europe.

The airline has been in the headlines recently. Many pilots and cabin crew across the region accuse the airline for poor employment conditions. This lead to legal action against the airline by various civil aviation organizations.

In light of the strikes, the airline said that the strikes will not affect its operations. The closures are also final until the Boeing 737 MAX issue has reached a conclusion. The issue has caused airline shortages across the airline’s major hubs in 9 countries in Europe.

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United Airlines is one of America’s largest airlines and has routes all over the globe. In recent years, the company has been expanding its operations overseas to reach a larger market. This month, the company reveals its newest location and it is in Europe, South America and Asia.

On Thursday, the airline reveals its updated and expanded international schedule. The new schedule comes after weeks of speculation and teasers from the airline. The flights will be coming from major United hubs in New York/Newark, San Francisco, Denver and Chicago.

Where are United Airlines’ New Routes?

The first new destination for the airline is Curacao, adding to its Caribbean destination network. With the addition of Curacao, the passengers can now visit all ABC islands through United: Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

The Caribbean island is now United’s 21st island destination. Flights to the island begin in December 7, subject to government approval.

Aside from Curacao, the airline will also be providing a direct flight from New York/Newark to Nice, France. The flights will begin on May 2, 2020 and use Boeing 767-300ER aircrafts. It will also be the first US airline to offer business class seats for that route.

In May 20, 2020, United will also become the only US airline to have direct flights from the US to Palermo, Italy. It will become United’s 5th Italian destination.

United will also start its direct and daily flights from Chicago to Zurich, Switzerland starting March 28, 2020. It will become United’s 7th year round European destination from its Chicago hub.

What Else is New with United?

Several United routes are also extended as part of its new expansion program. One of its expanded routes is its New York/Newark flights to Amsterdam and Frankfurt, Germany. The new flights will begin in March 28, 2020, connecting more passengers to Amsterdam and Germany.

United is also boosting its flights from Denver to London starting November 1, 2019. It is still under government approval but once approved, it will make the airline the only carrier to offer direct flights from Denver. It is also extending its San Francisco-New Delhi route starting December 5, 2019.

The airline will also resuming its New York/Newark-Porto, Portugal route on March 28, 2020, as well as the New York/Newark-Athens/Naples route and Washington-Barcelona routes on May 2020.

The date for United’s New York/Newark-Cape Town is also in the announcement. It will start its direct flights on December 15, 2019.

According to United’s International Network Vice President Patrick Quayle, United’s new and expanded routes aims to help customers go to more destinations worldwide. “These new additions help position United as an airline of choice for customers planning their business or leisure travel,” he remarked. 

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