Hundreds of jobs at risk at Ryanair as Brexit and Boeing 737 Max woes hit home
Hundreds of jobs at Ryanair are under threat within weeks, the airline's boss has warned staff.
In a video message, Michael O'Leary said the job cuts among pilots and cabin crew would be announced before the end of August.
It's been reported that as many as 1,500 jobs could go - but a Ryanair spokeswoman told ITV News: “Ryanair expects approximately 900 current staff could be impacted – not 1,500 as falsely reported."
In the video, Mr O'Leary says the carrier has about 500 too many pilots and 400 too many flight attendants.
He also says that recruitment plans for an additional 600 staff for next summer will be put on hold.
Expansion plans at the airline have been hit by the decision to ground the Boeing 737 Max aircraft in the wake of two deadly crashes.
The first wave of job losses could come as early as the autumn, with further losses after Christmas.
The news comes as the carrier struggles to maintain its stellar performance of the recent past.
It reported earlier this week a 21% fall in profits for the first quarter of its financial year - to June 30 - of €243m (£219m).
Additional headwinds include a weaker UK market as consumers tighten belts with Brexit looming, higher fuel bills and the knock-on effect of the Boeing 737 Max issue.
Ryanair operates out of 86 bases across Europe and employs about 9,000 people.