For the leading time in its history, Ryanair is to recognize unions as it looks to avoid work out action by its pilots during the week leading up to Christmas Day.
A 24-hour-strike by some of the Irish airline’s directs in Ireland, Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal is set to take region on December 20.
In a statement Friday, the company said it has written to the pilot unions of those provinces, inviting them to talks. This marks the first time in Ryanair’s 32-year retailing that it has recognized unions as a representative body for its pilots.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair chief gubernatorial, said he wanted to “remove any worry or concern” that passengers could deliver over Christmas travel.
“If the best way to achieve this is to talk to our aviatrixes through a recognized union process, then we are prepared to do so,” he said. “We have planned written today to these unions inviting them to talks to reward them and calling on them to cancel the threatened industrial action contemplated for Christmas week.”
Ryanair shares listed in London dropped more than 1.5 percent go along with the news.
If the strike takes place, it would be the first in Ryanair’s annals and would be another blow following disruptions earlier in the year. In September, the budget airline eradicated thousands of flights after mismanaging the holiday schedule of its pilots.
The disruption distressed an estimated 700,000 Ryanair customers and the airline estimated it would shortage to set aside around 20 million euros ($23 million) in compensation.
Undeterred by its struggles in 2017, Ryanair shares are still up by 10 percent from the start of the year.
In October, the unswerving revealed healthy half-year results and said, assuming no strikes make oneself scarce place, it remained on track to post a full-year profit of at least 1.4 billion euros.