Ryanair has confirmed that it wants to hire over 2,000 new pilots to help in navigating a successful recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Official reports indicate that the additional pilots will fly Ryanair’s planned new fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that will help in cutting costs, fuel consumption, noise, and also CO2 emissions.
The airline had in May posted an annual net loss of €1 billion as Covid-19 grounded most of the global aviation sector and impacted travel demand negatively. However, the airline now appears to be charting a continuous path to recovery.
Darrell Hughes, the human resources director said:
“As we take delivery of more than 210 Boeing 737-8200…aircraft, Ryanair will recruit 2,000-plus pilots over the next three years to fill positions created by this growth. Throughout the pandemic, Ryanair has worked closely with our people to save jobs and we are delighted to start planning for a return to growth over the coming years as we recover from the Covid-19 crisis and grow to 200 million guests by 2024.”
Ryanair signed a deal for 75 Boeing 737 MAX jets last December. This takes the airline’s total order to 210 MAX aircraft with a value of over €18.5 billion. These planes are due to be delivered in a period of four years up to 2024.
The announcement marks Boeing’s first major order for the 737 MAX since it was grounded for nearly two years after fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.
