Ryanair says it wants to hatch a deal with striking unions by Christmas
Budget airline Ryanair said it hopes to settle its dispute with unions that have shadowed its summer schedule by Christmas.
Chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs told reporters in Madrid that the airline wanted to have agreements in place with crew and pilots by Christmas, with the view to implementing them next year.
He said Ryanair has accepted demands from Spanish unions to hire local staff on Spanish contracts.
Pilots and cabin crew launched industrial action over the summer to try persuade Ryanair to move its contracts from being based in Ireland to the country of origin for its employees.
Yesterday Ryanair issued a stark profit warning which sent shares diving by more than 12 per cent at market close. Shares are now down by just over one per cent.
Chief executive Michael O'Leary blamed the downgrade on the fact that summer strikes were beginning to affect consumer confidence.
Read more: Ryanair shares fall as airline slashes profit guidance