Four of the airline’s pilots spoke to a Dutch TV show and said that they had been forced to fly Boeing 737-800 planes on as little fuel as was legally allowed in order for Ryanair to cut its fuel costs.
One pilot was quoted as saying: “I hope it doesn’t take a crash from one of our planes to wake up everybody.”
The airline was investigated by Spain’s aviation authority in July last year according to Spanish news site The Olive Press after three of its jets made emergency landings on the same day in July last year because of low fuel.
Quoted by The Olive Press, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary rebuked the pilot’s claims saying: “They are quoted anonymously, because what they are telling you are lies.”
A spokesman for the airline said: “The claims made by this Dutch TV programme are factually untrue.
“As the official report into the three Valencia weather diversions confirmed, all three pilots took extra fuel and all three aircraft fully complied with safety regulations.
“The only pressure placed on Ryanair pilots is to prioritise safety, which is why Ryanair has an outstanding 28-year safety record.”
