Sir, I would like to share with you a cost-saving suggestion I have proposed to the Ryanair board («Ryanair's talk of spree on aircraft casts cloud over dividend hopes», September 8). I write in my capacity as a B737-800 line training captain assigned to Ryanair's Marseilles, France base. My primary job responsibility involves the line training and checking of co-pilots and captains on both an initial and a recurrent basis.
As a Ryanair employee, I am aware of the company's desire to reduce costs whenever feasible, and, in so doing, pass on these lower costs in the form of lower fares to the travelling public.
I would propose that Ryanair replace the chief executive with a probationary cabin crew member currently earning about EUR13,200 net a year. Ryanair would benefit by saving millions of euros in salary, benefits and stock options. Further, there will be no need to petition either Boeing or governmental aviation regulators for approval to replace the CEO with a cabin crew member; as such approval would not be required.
Finally, the position of CEO could, in fact, become a source of ancillary revenue for Ryanair. Currently, Ryanair's contract cabin crew providers charge new recruits for the cost of their training – EUR3,000 in fact. Ryanair could similarly charge EUR3,000 for the training required to become chief executive.
Captain Morgan Fischer,
LTC, Ryanair/Marseilles,
Aix-en-Provence, France
