Norwegian begins to hire pilots for Dublin base
The low-fares long-haul carrier currently puts on 24 flights from Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Belfast to Providence, Rhode Island and New York after launching its transatlantic service in July, including Cork’s first ever direct flight to the US.
The airline said it was seeking pilots with a licence to fly a Boeing 737 aircraft, and will host events around the country to identify potential recruits.
Its Dublin base would initially have 40 pilots with a view to “exploring options for further pilot and cabin crew positions at the base next summer”, Norwegian said.
Fellow low-cost carrier Ryanair said it would base three more aircraft at Frankfurt airport from summer 2018 to add 34 new routes including Athens, Lisbon and Marseille.
That brings the number of planes it has at Germany’s biggest airport to 10, encroaching further onto rival Lufthansa’s territory.
Chief commercial officer David O‘Brien said Ryanair could grow further at Frankfurt next year, depending on the competitive environment.
The airline was forced to cancel 110 flights to and from France yesterday because of strike action by air traffic controllers, in protest at President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed labour reforms.
Ryanair’s Kenny Jacobs said unions were “holding Europe to ransom.”
