The Spanish Airline Pilots Union (Sepla) has condemned with "the utmost force" the dismissal of a Ryanair captain based in Barcelona, whom the airline has fired after making a decision aimed at safeguarding operational safety during a flight, something that the union qualifies as "an extremely concerning precedent."
According to Sepla in an informative note, the conflict originates from an operation in which the captain made use of the Commander's Discretion to complete the flight activity and, subsequently, chose to extend the crew's rest time understanding that it was the safest alternative from an operational point of view.
The union emphasizes that the internal communication sent by the company itself admits that the pilot applied that discretion to conclude the service and that, afterwards, decided to extend the staff's rest, facts that "have served as the basis for the disciplinary procedure that has culminated in his dismissal."
For the union organization, air safety must never be subordinated to productivity goals or merely operational criteria. It warns that, "when those who decide prudently are punished, not only is a professional harmed, but the entire safety system on which commercial aviation is based is also weakened."
In this line, Sepla considers that the "real problem" goes beyond the specific case of the affected captain, as the message being sent reaches the entire pilot workforce.
The union insists that the authority of the captain is one of the essential elements of air safety and stresses that pilots must be able to make decisions about the operation of the flight based solely on their professional judgment, without pressure or fear of possible reprisals when they deem it necessary to exercise the powers granted to them by regulations, referring to the so-called just culture.
Finally, Sepla urges Ryanair to review and reverse this measure and to reaffirm its commitment to this just culture, so that "the professional judgment of the captains is respected and no decision made in good faith in defense of safety can become a reason for sanction or dismissal."