Sacked Ryanair pilot awarded €46k

A FORMER Ryanair pilot said he was “delighted” as he accepted a payout of £40,000 (€46,269) from the airline after he was sacked for handing out a union recruitment leaflet.

Captain James Anderson, 45, took the case of unfair dismissal to an employment tribunal, and the low-cost operator offered the cash within hours of the case starting.

Mr Anderson, who had worked for the Ryanair since 2001, was backed by the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa).

The hearing at the East London Employment Tribunal started shortly after 10am yesterday morning, and Ryanair officials made the offer by 3.30pm.

Mr Anderson said in a statement: “I am delighted with the result and now I just want to get on with looking after my family.’

Speaking outside the tribunal, John Stembridge-King from Balpa, said: “The British Airline Pilots Association is delighted with the offer of settlement in this claim for unfair dismissal against Ryanair. We regard this as a significant victory, a wonderful result.

“As the professional association representing commercial airline pilots, Balpa is proud to support each and every member, whatever airline they fly.

“Captain James Anderson is now in a position to provide support for his family and the settlement of £40,000 will contribute towards speech therapy sessions for his daughter who has Down Syndrome.

“This, in part, will make good the two-year period Captain James Anderson was not able to provide full support for his family as he would have wished,” he added.

Stephen McNamara, a spokesman for Ryanair, said: “Ryanair is very pleased with today’s settlement, the cost of which is less than one day’s legal fees, which was sensible in view of the expected three-day duration of the hearing, and we wish our former pilot every success for the future.”