Ryanair puts future of its Cork and Shannon bases into play in clash with pilots trade union Fórsa

Ryanair has threatened to close two of its Irish bases -- in Cork and Shannon -- and axe up to 120 pilot jobs unless its Irish pilots bypass their union and directly accept a pay cut, a memo seen by Reuters said.

The airline is demanding pay cuts of up to 20% and changes to work practices across Europe. It has said it plans 3,000 job cuts and a reduction in staff unit costs, but faces union resistance in a number of countries.