Airline boss promises pilots bonus to keep flying

 

Airline boss promises pilots bonus to keep flying   

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CfnRcifwfA

The boss of Europe's biggest low-cost airline has promised to increase the pay and working conditions of pilots to stop them leaving the company. Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, made a personal pledge to the budget carrier's 4,200 pilots to address concerns that pilots are dissatisfied and want to quit the company. Pilots have been offered salary increases of up to $11,700 and loyalty bonuses of $14,000. A long-serving pilot told the BBC this was, "too little, too late." He said: "There is a lack of basic benefits [for pilots] - no free bottles of water, coffee or tea and no crew meals." He said pilots also had to buy their own uniform. He added: "People have just had enough of the toxic atmosphere."

Mr O'Leary is attempting to repair the damage done to Ryanair's reputation after a scheduling error with pilot holidays. The costly mistake meant more than 20,000 flights have been cancelled recently because of a lack of available pilots. This has affected over 700,000 passengers. An industry analyst said the airline made this costly error, "by initially disrespecting the skill set of pilots". He added: "In a rare move, [Ryanair] is being forced to backpedal, apologize and meet [pilots'] pay demands." O'Leary is confident that pilots will stay. He said: "I urge you to stay with Ryanair for a brighter, better future for you and your family." He added: "We are a very secure employer in a very insecure industry."

3. FLYING: Students A strongly believe flying is the best way to travel; Students B strongly believe it isn't. 

4. WORKING CONDITIONS: What should the minimum working conditions be for everyone? 

 

Minimum conditions

Why?

Salary

 

 

Hours

 

 

Overtime

 

 

Benefits

 

 

Environment

 

 

Holidays

 

 

5. SALARY: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "salary". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

6. AIRPLANES: Rank these with your partner. Put the best things about airplanes at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • in-flight entertainment
  • checking in / boarding
  • the whole experience
  • landing
  • pilots
  • cabin crew
  • airplane food
  • taking off

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. The airline in the article is Europe's biggest low-cost carrier.     T / F
  2. The airline employs almost 42,000 pilots.     T / F
  3. The airline offered a salary increase of up to $14,000.     T / F
  4. The airline provides pilots with uniforms free of charge.     T / F
  5. The airline made a mistake with its pilots' holiday schedule.     T / F
  6. Over 700,000 passengers have been affected by flight cancellations.     T / F
  7. The article said pedals on airplanes weren't put back.     T / F
  8. The airline is fairly sure that its pilots will not quit.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. boss
  2. pledge
  3. basic
  4. buy
  5. toxic
  6. attempting
  7. costly
  8. initially
  9. backpedal
  10. industry
  1. fundamental
  2. trying
  3. poisonous
  4. at first
  5. (do an) about-face
  6. purchase
  7. chief
  8. trade
  9. promise
  10. expensive

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. working
  2. address concerns that pilots
  3. loyalty
  4. There is a lack of basic
  5. People have just had enough of
  6. attempting to repair the damage done
  7. more than 20,000 flights have been
  8. industry
  9. Ryanair is being forced to
  10. We are a very secure
  1. to Ryanair's reputation
  2. benefits
  3. backpedal
  4. are dissatisfied
  5. analyst
  6. bonuses
  7. conditions
  8. employer
  9. the toxic atmosphere
  10. cancelled

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

bonuses
pledge
uniform
promised
toxic
serving
dissatisfied
basic

The boss of Europe's biggest low-cost airline has (1) ___________ to increase the pay and working conditions of pilots to stop them leaving the company. Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, made a personal (2) ____________ to the budget carrier's 4,200 pilots to address concerns that pilots are (3) ____________ and want to quit the company. Pilots have been offered salary increases of up to $11,700 and loyalty (4) ____________ of $14,000. A long- (5) ____________ pilot told the BBC this was, "too little, too late." He said: "There is a lack of (6) ____________ benefits [for pilots] - no free bottles of water, coffee or tea and no crew meals." He said pilots also had to buy their own (7) ____________. He added: "People have just had enough of the (8) ____________ atmosphere."

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

initially
reputation
urge
backpedal
employer
analyst
lack
confident

Mr O'Leary is attempting to repair the damage done to Ryanair's (9) ____________ after a scheduling error with pilot holidays. The costly mistake meant more than 20,000 flights have been cancelled recently because of a (10) ____________ of available pilots. This has affected over 700,000 passengers. An industry (11) ____________ said the airline made this costly error, "by (12) ____________ disrespecting the skill set of pilots". He added: "In a rare move, [Ryanair] is being forced to (13) ____________, apologize and meet [pilots'] pay demands." O'Leary is (14) ____________ that pilots will stay. He said: "I (15) ____________ you to stay with Ryanair for a brighter, better future for you and your family." He added: "We are a very secure (16) ____________ in a very insecure industry."

Comprehension questions

  1. What kind of airline is Ryanair?
  2. How many pilots does Ryanair have?
  3. How much are the loyalty bonuses that Ryanair is offering?
  4. Who buys the uniforms for the pilots?
  5. How did a pilot describe the atmosphere as Ryanair as being?
  6. What part of Ryanair was damaged because of a scheduling error?
  7. How many passengers were affected by cancelled flights?
  8. What did an industry analyst say Ryanair had to meet?
  9. What kind of future did the CEO suggest could be had by not quitting?
  10. How did the CEO describe the airline industry as being?

Role play

Role  A – Airplane Food

You think airplane food is the best thing about flying. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): in-flight entertainment, the cabin crew or landing.

Role  B – In-flight Entertainment

You think in-flight entertainment is the best thing about flying. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): airplane food, the cabin crew or landing.

Role  C – The Cabin Crew

You think the cabin crew is the best thing about flying. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): in-flight entertainment, airplane food or landing.

Role  D – Landing

You think landing is the best thing about flying. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why):  in-flight entertainment, the cabin crew or airplane food.

Discussion - Airline boss promises pilots bonus to keep flying

  1. What do you think of low-cost airlines?
  2. What do you think of pilots?
  3. Should pilots of budget carriers be well paid?
  4. What is your favourite airline?
  5. What do you think are the difficulties of being a pilot?
  6. What do you think of pilots having to buy their own uniform?
  7. What advice do you have for Ryanair?
  8. Have you ever worked in a toxic atmosphere?
  1. How safe are budget carriers?
  2. What do you think of flying?
  3. Would you like to be a pilot?
  4. How would you feel if your flight was canceled?
  5. Have you ever backpedaled on a decision you made?
  6. Why do you think the airline industry is insecure?
  7. What questions would you like to ask Ryanair's CEO?

Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

The boss of Europe's biggest low-cost airline has (1) ____ to increase the pay and working conditions of pilots to stop them (2) ____ the company. Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, made a personal (3) ____ to the budget carrier's 4,200 pilots to address concerns that pilots are dissatisfied and want to quit the company. Pilots have been offered salary increases of up to $11,700 and (4) ____ bonuses of $14,000. A long-serving pilot told the BBC this was, "too little, (5) ____ late." He said: "There is a lack of basic benefits [for pilots] - no free bottles of water, coffee or tea and no crew meals." He said pilots also had to buy their own uniform. He added: "People have just had enough of the (6) ____ atmosphere."

Mr O'Leary is attempting to repair the damage done to Ryanair's (7) ____ after a scheduling error with pilot holidays. The (8) ____ mistake meant more than 20,000 flights have been cancelled recently because of a lack of available pilots. This has (9) ____ over 700,000 passengers. An industry analyst said the airline made this costly error, "by (10) ____ disrespecting the skill set of pilots". He added: "In a rare move, [Ryanair] is being forced to (11) ____, apologize and meet [pilots'] pay demands." O'Leary is confident that pilots will stay. He said: "I urge you to stay with Ryanair for a brighter, better future for you and your family." He added: "We are a very secure employer (12) ____ a very insecure industry."

Which of these words go in the above text?

  1. (a)     promise     (b)     promised     (c)     promissory     (d)     promising    
  2. (a)     leaves     (b)     leaving     (c)     left     (d)     leaver    
  3. (a)     merge     (b)     sledge     (c)     drudge     (d)     pledge    
  4. (a)     loyal     (b)     loyalty     (c)     royal     (d)     royally    
  5. (a)     by     (b)     to     (c)     so     (d)     too    
  6. (a)     toxicity     (b)     toxins     (c)     toxic     (d)     toxicology    
  7. (a)     reputation     (b)     reparation     (c)     restoration     (d)     repatriation    
  8. (a)     costed     (b)     costing     (c)     costly     (d)     costs    
  9. (a)     deflected     (b)     reflected     (c)     infected     (d)     affected    
  10. (a)     initially     (b)     initialize     (c)     initials     (d)     initialing    
  11. (a)     backpedal     (b)     peddle     (c)     pedal     (d)     pedals    
  12. (a)     in     (b)     by     (c)     at     (d)     on

Spelling

Paragraph 1

  1. made a personal lgepde
  2. the budget rraierc
  3. pilots are eiiisdtdafss
  4. olytaly bonuses of $14,000
  5. pilots also had to buy their own omunifr
  6. toxic pseraotmhe

Paragraph 2

  1. the damage done to Ryanair's optruetnai
  2. a liudegcshn error with pilot holidays
  3. a lack of eabaillav pilots
  4. An industry ansylat
  5. Ryanair is being forced to lacbakped
  6. in a very cnsruiee industry

 

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