The British Airline Pilots Association has criticised the payment of huge bonuses to airline bosses at a time when many pilots and staff are bearing the financial brunt of COVID-19 in the shape of redundancies, furlough and huge insecurity.
It comes as an influential investor advisory firm has urged Ryanair shareholders to oppose boss Michael O’Leary’s proposed €458,000 ($540,600) annual bonus, in a non-binding vote later this month.
Criticism of O’Leary’s package follows the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) recommendation against British Airways owner IAG’s £883,000 ($1.17 million) send-off for retiring CEO Willie Walsh.
BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton said: “It beggars belief that airline bosses can shamelessly take government aid, slash jobs and then trouser huge bonuses.
“COVID-19 has hit aviation hard and unprecedented measures have been agreed by BALPA and the other unions to try and help companies survive.
“Staff have done their bit so it’s a real slap in the face to see the bosses queuing up with their snouts in the trough.”
