Ryanair boss threatens French exodus
RYANAIR, the Dublin-based budget airline, has threatened to pull out of its Marseille base in response to accusations that the airline failed to notify officials about French employees.
The threats came as part of a letter written by the airline’s boss, Michael O’Leary and obtained by Le Parisien newspaper.
O’Leary wrote that Ryanair will soon announce alternative plans that could see it move all employees and aircraft out of France.
He wrote the letter a week after French prosecutors charged the airline with illegal activity after it declared that 120 French employees were working in Ireland.
O’Leary has already defended the airline’s move and said that Ryanair was “in conformity with European law” because the employees in Marseille paid their taxes, pension payments and social security in Ireland.
French trade unions, which launched the dispute, have argued that employees living in France should be declared in France.
Ryanair was not available for comment when contacted by City A.M.
The budget airline has been there since 2006 and if it leaves, 120 jobs will be affected.