Ryanair didn't tell pilots about runway changes

Budget carrier Ryanair was at the centre of a storm today after a hard-hitting report found one of its aircraft nearly crashed at an Irish airport.

The Boeing 737 from Gatwick to Knock in Co Mayo was carrying 144 passengers and crew last March when it marginally avoided crashing, according to a report by Ireland’s Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU).

A member of the Dáil today hit out at the carrier after investigators found pilots were not told by the airline about new changes to the runway at the rural airport.

The aircraft had to make a sudden emergency ascent because the pilot was unaware that several navigational aids were switched off while the airport was being upgraded.

Ryanair had been informed of the changes six weeks earlier, but did not pass on the information to its pilots working on the route, the report found.

TD for the area Jerry Cowley said the incident was yet another example of Ryanair’s cost-cutting plans going too far.

“There are obvious health and safety concerns for passengers and crew as well as the general public in a serious incident like this,” he said.

He expressed concerns that in the rush to cut costs, airlines must maintain the highest standards.

Mr Cowley also said he hoped the incident would not affect Knock Airport’s valuable role in the west-of-Ireland community.

“It is a very important regional airport for the west of Ireland and is essential for local business as well as the local population.

“It needs greater Government investment to help it expand its services and attract more routes from airlines.”

A spokeswoman for the airline said today: “Ryanair assisted and co-operated fully with this AAIU report and we have accepted and implemented all of the recommendations made.”

The AAIU noted the captain and first officer were so engrossed in trying to reprogramme the aircraft that they became distracted, before an alarm system warned they were approaching the ground, prompting an emergency ascent from the crew.

Both were experienced Ryanair pilots but uncertainty over changing weather conditions and the pilots’ lack of familiarity with the particular approach to Knock impaired their decision-making process, the report found.

It emerged during the AAIU investigation that crucial information about improvement works at the airport was not available to the pilots when they started their flight.

Ryanair also failed to provide the crew with a document informing them of changes to the air routes at Knock, leading them to put the wrong flight information into the aircraft’s computer.

In addition, the manual containing the information on all the approach routes, carried on all flights, was not up to date.

The AAIU made six recommendations including warnings that Ryanair should report any such incidents immediately to the authorities and that all cockpit staff are fully appraised of all runway modifications.