Budget airline Ryanair is the subject of a Channel 4 documentary to be aired on Monday 13th February.

The Dispatches programme Ryanair: Caught Napping is expected to allege numerous concerns over safety and standards at the airline.

In a bizarre move, the airline has published a sharp exchange of letters between itself and the Channel 4 production team¹, revealing details of many of the allegations to be made by the programme.

Serious Allegations

Two undercover reporters from the Dispatches programme applied for and were accepted as Ryanair Cabin Crew. Each worked for the airline for around seven weeks, having successfully passed the Ryanair training programme. They filmed covertly whilst working as cabin crew.

The programme is expected to raise many issues including:

• a tutor claiming that the hardest part of passing the written cabin crew test should be the candidate filling in their name

• one flight assistant being threatened with being docked a day's pay when expressing concerns about her ability and experience to operate as Number 2 in the cabin²

• Ryanair flight crew using temporary airport passes that are intended for training purposes, and a five year background check not having been completed³

• a cabin services supervisor telling a flight assistant just to check passengers had a passport, rather than that it was their own passport

• vomit on the floor of an aircraft being sprayed with aftershave to disguise it rather than being cleaned

• a pilot indicating that the aircraft GPS system was faulty and failing to have the fault remedied⁴

• the reporters witnessing flight crew members falling asleep during the flight whilst on duty

• the fact that Ryanair policy of combining soft and alcoholic drink bars meant that during a 3 hour wait on the runway at Jerez passengers were not able to obtain any refreshments.⁵

Michael O'Leary Remarks

In a series of letters denying the substance or accuracy of the claims, the Chief Executive of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, has made a series of somewhat extraordinary comments and remarks.

• In denying that Ryanair charges for cabin crew training, O'Leary points to there being 800,000 entries on Google for independent UK cabin crew training schools, and that all of them charge a fee. He doesn't mention that many airlines pay this fee for successful candidates (Ryanair doesn't), nor does he explain where he thinks such an enormous volume of flight training schools might be located.

• O'Leary states "I repeat again that Ryanair does not, and has never, charge(d) a fee for cabin crew training". This is simply achieved by Ryanair contracting its cabin crew training out to another company. The recruiting company does charge a fee to applicants (around £1400), which is not reimbursed by Ryanair.

• In responding the comments made a pilot about the faulty GPS navigation system, O'Leary remarks: "What you have is a video recording a pilot talking rubbish to a cabin crew member, and no more than that".

He repeatedly holds that all of the allegations are unsubstantiated. The production team has explained that as the programme contains covert filming, the production company is permitted to refuse to make a preview available. Under these circumstances, the company is obliged to present a balanced appraisal of the evidence contained in the documentary, which was sent to Ryanair on 12th January.

Safety Fears

Whilst passengers seem to be keen to take advantage of savings passed on by low cost airlines through the withdrawal of what have been seen as premium services, some may wonder how far airlines are prepared to cut back.

Allegations made regarding security and safety are serious against any airline, and Ryanair may need to assure its customers that it places nothing above their safety. Whether Channel 4 Dispatches will show otherwise will be seen on Monday 13th February at 8pm.

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Notes

¹ The correspondence was published by Ryanair on its website at http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/inpage.php?partner=DISPATCHES on 9th February 2006. A link was created on its homepage entitled "Ryanair and Dispatches - The Truth".

² After four days experience, the reporter was told to work as Number 2 in the cabin including acting as superior to a member of crew with two days experience. The reporter expressed concern that she was not sufficiently experienced to her supervisor, who replied that she would be docked a day's pay if she did not comply.

³ Because of the background checks required to vet people with access to the airside part of an airport, it can be several weeks before these are completed. Airports issue a temporary pass which is meant to be used for training purposes whilst awaiting a full pass. The reporters noted that one cabin crew member had been using a temporary pass for three months.

⁴ Aviation authorities spot checked flight documents on a Ryanair flight at Forli, Italy. After the check, the pilot suggested that he hoped the plane was not inspected further as the GPS system was faulty.

⁵ A flight from Jerez to Stansted had to wait for three hours on the tarmac with passengers on board. The delay was due to the pilot awaiting confirmation that the plane was safe to fly. During the wait passengers asked for refreshments but were refused. The pilot explained that Ryanair kept soft and alcoholic drinks together. Excise regulations forbid access to any alcoholic (and thereby soft) drinks until the plane is in the air. The pilot said that he might lose his job if he allowed the rules to be broken.