Paphos People

The recent reaction by the airline industry against the proposed 14-day quarantine of travellers, serves to put their views on passenger safety clearly into perspective.
It is abundantly clear (as most of us have recognised for a long time), they put profit above passenger comfort & safety. Now the industry is clearly dictating government policy (may have been for some time) & it has taken the Covid-19 pandemic to bring their shady manipulations to the fore in the media.
Their inherant greed (epitomised by the current CEO of Ryanair) is now fully unmasked, albeit being only thinly veiled previously.
His attempt to mitigate the building backlash from his customers concerning his company’s indolent stance (illegally not refunding passengers money within 7-days) by volunteering a 50% salary cut, is lamentable. His remuneration after this well publicised ‘gesture’ will be £1.5 million a year anyway, anyone think he’s worth it?
The whole industry is little more than a cartel masquerading as independent companies.
I fervantly hope the UK Government take the opportunity, whilst the industry is vulnerable, to regulate their practices to the safety & benefit of their customers – what are the chances?

Noticeably not heard much from ABTA have we, or have I missed it?

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I'll be back!

Undoubtedly the shareholders, or he wouldn't still have the job.

The 14 day quarantine (actually it's self isolation) that has been suggested, but not yet confirmed by the UK government, is hopelessly impractical, but were it to be effected, it would put people off flying for all but the most important of reasons and that would be the end of the airline industry.

The reality with air travel is that you cannot isolate people in an aluminium tube in which the air the passengers breathe is partially recirculated.

Until common sense prevails and the panic over this virus recedes, air travel will be off the agenda, and the future market for cheap flights will be crushed by the insurance industry.

For the foreseeable future, If you get on an aeroplane you have to consider whether you will be allowed off it at the destination, and more important, whether you will be allowed to return.

Yes, he obviously is. He has built up a significant airline offering low cost flights for those that choose to buy those kind of tickets. Just look at the number of expats who fly to and from Cyprus with Ryanair every year.

You may not like him but he keeps the airline's name in the public eye and he still sells plenty of tickets (apart from at the moment obviously).

No different to people like Branson.

Also the UK is talking about 14 day's isolation starting from next month, which is way too late for it to be effective, but doesn't say how long it will stay in place.

Cyprus has had no deaths for a week and only one new case yesterday, so when do we restart air travel to other countries whose numbers are low?

Three very good posts, sensible constructive comments it makes you think.

I for one would not want to get on a plane during this pandemic, watched the news the other day about the flight from Belfast to London, if you missed it I have included the link.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-52539141

WOULD YOU feel safe, they are now looking into it and are very sorry, - sorry is because they have been caught out, again as you say profit before safety.

I understand that obviously!

However, what could be done I'd suggest is;

1) Enforce an 'investigation period' before & after any journey, overseen by medical supervision (eg.local GP). Make sure only those fit to travel are actually permitted to do so. Negative result, meaning 'clearance' certificate not provided & 'permission' to board denied. The level/type of infection to be evaluated/set by the medical profession.
A necessary step would be to include air crew & trolley dolleys!
I recognise this could be a problem for the return trip should you catch an infection in the interim, taking holidays abroad by air may no longer be possible if working for a living!

2) Legislate for the airline industry to modify their air circulation systems during this enforced period of activity, such that cleansing of infectious particles is effected.
I for one would applaud this measure even without the Covid-19 situation, I've had enough of being infected by someone else's germs, sitting in an airplane as a 'captive audience'. Any positive effects gained from taking a holiday negated by sufferring a bout of 'flu' as a consequence of taking a flight to get there & back.

Whilst some disruption to the airlines will result from the above (mainly for aircrew screening), I feel it would be a reasonable step to take (or some similar variant approach). I admit it would affect the airlines operation in volume of 'safe' customers admitted to fly, but not a major impact to the vast profits of the industry reaped by their management & shareholders.

Branson may have to spend some of his billions in re-investment actions to achieve the results necessary, but let's face it, he knew the business risks & rewards when he started his business, from which to date, he has benefitted handsomely - some 'payback' for his (or other owner/Exec's) luxurious lifestyle shouldn't be too hard to bear?

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I'll be back!

You assume that airlines are hugely profitable. They are not. They run on small margins that require full cabins to be profitable.

Your certification system would guarantee a profitable black market in certificates and, in the UK at least, it is hard enough to get an appointment to see a GP when you are actually ill, let alone add the burden of certifying air passenger health. In 2018 there were 142 million passengers on UK carriers alone!

Your suggestions would ensure that most people would not be able to afford the future cost of flying, and that would kill the tourism industries around the world. For some countries, like Cyprus, it would destroy their economies. It is therefore unlikely to happen.

People will eventually realise that this is a disease that mainly affects the unhealthy old. For most people it is a mild infection. People will lose their fear of it, and no doubt vaccines will be available, the vast profits from which, the cynic in me would suggest, is the reason for keeping the panic going. Watch out for vaccination, with largely untested vaccines, becoming compulsory.

Why does the name Bill Gates spring into my mind???

Small margins you advise.
I concede that if passenger numbers did not hit certain sustainable minimum numbers (ie. profitable), any flight would be cancelled, or on a continuing trend, the service would ultimately be discontinued.

Might I suggest that if times are indeed so hard, they might want to review what they pay their management & staff on more pragmatic grounds also?
Despite their 'scraping a living' as you would have us believe, the Ryanair company were paying their Chief Exec £3 million a year salary before his 'grand gesture', plus no doubt unreported additional remunerations via share options, dividends, expenses & pension handouts etc. The total package must be obscene by any reasonable standards.

Like the so-called 'charities' & largely unskilled, but elected, fat-cat town hall warriors in the UK, vastly overpaid when evaluated to their actual individual cost effectiveness. It would explain his undeniable personal trait of 'screwing the daylights' out of his customers by overseeing/authorising many devious charges associated with travelling with Ryanair, in his ultimate chase for ever more reward for himself.

Has anyone ever heard of, experienced, or read of him actively having any interest in passenger comfort, or can recount an example of him attempting to improve the 'traveller experience' (this is a largely rhetorical question obviously)? In my experience as customers we are treated with disdain, hence the 'cattle class' description.

Long past time for a change, what has happened to integrity in the airline business?

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Integrity never existed, its always been about a bum on a seat and some profit (as any business) only now there is competition, less pretty stewardesses and it is a job and not a vocation.

Ryanairs service is really no worse than anyone else and in fact I recently used their part automated service online to change some flights and the entire process (including me having to discuss with my lower half) took 20 mins, so good marks for them. I just got a mail back from an easy company to extend the period for a refund by a fortnight.

Airlines similar to many other industries that grew big and fat after the war (I am not old enough MAD told me about it) have for the last 20 years had to trim the fat, become more competitive and survive. We have seen so many national carriers go to the wall because they could no longer live off the fat and didn't have the process in place to survive.

All in all I would say that its a very good service being offered by the airlines, yes they will try to make money, yes their customers will speak. But also try and get a train from Glasgow to London for the price of a flight from here and you will see the good value offered.

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Straight talking, no Gimmicks.

Live your dreams.

I think that I need say little as this article in the news today sums up the mindset within Ryanair;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8313431/Ryanair-accused-avoiding-multi-million-pound-refund-bill-plans-1-000-daily-flights.html

Am I surprised - NOT!
I rest my case.

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Breaking (bad) news;

"Paphos is looking to Alexandria to establish a direct link between the two cities and has approached low-cost carrier Ryanair, according to an announcement by the municipality.
“A teleconference to get acquainted, and substantive conversation for the further development of relations between the twinned cities was held by the mayor of Paphos Phedonas Phedonos and the new Governor of Alexandria, Mohamed El Sherif,” the municipality said."

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I'll be back!