Summary: The 2017 Telegraph Report
- Claim: A Ryanair cabin crew member, speaking anonymously, alleged that staff were planning a mass strike and then “absconding” to rival airlines like easyJet or Norwegian. This was framed as a means to protest working conditions. Telegraph
- Context & Details:
- The crew member described scenarios where multiple flights could be grounded (“Imagine that the five aircraft of our base will not depart on one day.”) Telegraph
- The report also highlighted grievances such as excessive hours (140–160 hours worked despite being paid for about 100), uniform rental fees, and lack of union representation due to contractual restrictions. Telegraph
Status: Outdated and Unverified
This was a single anonymous claim from 2017. I could not locate any recent or confirmed reports suggesting a current “mass strike or desertion” is being planned by Ryanair cabin crew.
What About More Recent Strikes?
While there’s no recent evidence of plotting mass desertion, Ryanair has faced frequent strikes from cabin crew across Europe in recent years:
- 2018–2023 Strikes:
- Multiple coordinated strikes occurred in countries like Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Italy. These were largely driven by issues such as pay, working conditions, and demands for contracts aligned with local labour laws rather than Irish ones. France 24+1Daily SabahThe Guardian+1RTÉAl JazeeraCatalan News+1euronewsBrussels Times
- In Spain, a five-month strike began in August 2022, affecting hundreds of flights and thousands of passengers. euronewsCatalan News
- In Belgium and across other regions, there were warnings of monthly strike actions if demands weren’t met. Brussels Times
- Ryanair’s Response:
- The airline often downplayed the impact of strikes, portraying them as minor (involving only a small percentage of staff). ExtraBusiness PlusRTÉ
- In some cases, Ryanair was accused of penalizing striking workers by withholding productivity bonuses or labeling them as “no-shows,” which unions and legal bodies have challenged as breaches of labour rights. TheJournal.ieThe GuardianCatalan NewsEuro Weekly News
Final Takeaway
The dramatic claim about crew planning a strike and then deserting to rival airlines stems from a single anonymous 2017 claim—it’s not substantiated by multiple or recent sources.
That said, Ryanair has indeed experienced widespread cabin crew strikes over the past years. These were driven by labor disputes, wage issues, and contractual disagreements, but there’s no evidence of planned desertions to other carriers or large-scale walkouts of that nature in recent times.
Let me know if you’d like to dive deeper into any specific strike episode or labor issue—happy to assist!