Ryanair: Age not linked to sacking

Ryanair says it is entitled to a preliminary hearing of certain legal issues before the Equality Tribunal considers complaints made against the airline over its treatment of a former pilot, John Goss.

In High Court proceedings Ryanair claims the Equality Tribunal has declined to respond to its requests for a preliminary hearing arising out of a complaint brought by Mr Goss, who alleges he was discriminated against on age grounds when he was dismissed from the airline in August 2013.

Ryanair, which denies Mr Goss’s claims, says that despite making several requests to the director to have certain matters dealt by way of a preliminary hearing, the tribunal director has declined to hold such a hearing and has failed to give any or any adequate reasons.

Yesterday at the High Court Frank Beatty, counsel for Ryanair, said Mr Goss has brought a case against the airline to the Equality Tribunal arising out the termination of his employment in August 2013, two months before his 60th birthday.

The airline fully rejects all of Mr Goss’s claims and says he was dismissed from Ryanair for gross misconduct.

It is also the airline’s case that the retirement age for Ryanair’s Dublin pilots is 60 years of age, counsel said.

Counsel said the airline has asked the tribunal for a preliminary hearing to determine a number of issues.

Counsel said these include that his complaints are frivolous and vexatious and that he has no claim against the airline, that the complaints were not brought within certain time periods, and that Ryanair and its pilots are entitled to agree and maintain a retirement age of 60 years.

The tribunal has not made a decision or given any reasons why such a preliminary hearing, which counsel said Ryanair is entitled to, cannot take place.

In the circumstances counsel said that it was left with no other option other than to come to the High Court and seek a judicial review.

Permission to bring the action was granted yesterday, on an ex-parte basis, by the president of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns. It will come before the court again in March.