Ryanair pilot sacked for questioning airline’s safety record in TV interview

Ryanair has dismissed one of its senior pilots for questioning the airline’s safety record in a television interview. John Goss, who worked for the airline for 27 years and was a former flight safety officer, appeared on Channel 4’s Dispatches programme claiming that the budget airline compiled league tables of captains who used the most fuel.

He also claimed that a large number of his fellow pilots did not have confidence in the Irish aviation safety authority which regulates Ryanair.

Today the airline rejected any accusation that it encouraged crews to minimise the amount of back-up fuel that they carry and said it would be taking legal action against Captain Goss for his “defamatory contributions” to the programme.

“We will not allow a Ryanair employee to defame our safety on national television just three weeks after he confirmed in writing to Ryanair that he had no concerns with safety and no reason to make any confidential safety report to either the IAA or Ryanair,” the airline said in a statement. “We look forward to correcting Mr Goss’s defamatory claims in court in due course.”