Ryanair News

News Release

23.08.12

Ryanair Rejects False Safety Claims In Spain

3 EMERGENCY LANDINGS IN VALENCIA ON 26TH JULY FOLLOWED EU SAFETY PROCEDURES AND LANDED WITH 30 MINS OF RESERVE FUEL – HAVING FLOWN 1 HOUR MORE THAN SCHEDULED
 
Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary today (23rd Aug) held a press conference in Madrid, accompanied by Ryanair Chief Pilot (Capt Ray Conway) and Madrid Base Captain (Capt Steve McGrath) at which Ryanair provided full details of the 3 fuel emergency landings in Valencia on 26th July, each of which complied fully with Ryanair and EU safety procedures, having circled overhead Madrid and Valencia for over 1 hour more than their scheduled flight time, and in each case they properly declared an emergency landing in Valencia, as they were approaching their minimum landing fuel of 30 minutes additional flying time. Ryanair also published details of other airlines’ similar fuel emergency landings incl. 28 such fuel emergency landings in the UK over the past 2 years, 2 Virgin fuel emergencies in London on 3rd January, an Aer Lingus fuel emergency landing in Valencia on 14th March, and an Air France fuel emergency landing in Damascus on 15th August (during which passengers were asked to contribute cash to pay for fuel!). Ryanair pointed out that such fuel emergency landings are not unusual, which is precisely why the emergency landing procedure exists.
 
Ryanair published factual details of these 3 flights on 26th July (see attached) which show that each aircraft approached Madrid Airport at 22.07hrs, 22.11hrs and 22.12hrs respectively. They subsequently landed in Valencia 23.08hrs, 23.20hrs and 23.34hrs respectively, which meant that each of these 3 aircraft had flown for  an additional 1.01hrs and 1.09hrs and 1.17hrs respectively after their final approach to Madrid, which is why they were required to declare fuel emergency landings (to get ATC priority) in Valencia in accordance with EU safety procedures.   Each of these 3 aircraft landed in Valencia with 28 mins, 31 mins and 34 mins reserve fuel. In each case Ryanair’s pilots were following diversion instructions of Spanish ATC, and in the case of the fuel emergency landings, the safety procedures of Ryanair, the Irish Aviation Authority and the European Aviation Safety Authority.
 
Ryanair pointed out that while three fuel emergencies on one day is unusual, they were the result of adverse weather (thunderstorms) over Madrid on 26th July, with the result that these aircraft were required to fly for over one hour more than their scheduled flight times and yet each of the 3 still landed with 30 mins of reserve fuel. On the same day in question, there were other diversionary landings in Valencia Airport, 1 by Lanchile and 2 by Easyjet aircraft. Ryanair also released details of similar fuel emergency landings in the UK, in Spain and last week (by Air France in Damascus), which proves that while such fuel emergencies are not unusual, they are routine in the airline industry, but generally only arise where there are significant adverse weather and/or ATC delays necessitating such diversions and extended flying. 
 
Ryanair rejected the false claims made about these safe landings in the Spanish media in sequence as follows:
 
1. “The Spanish authorities can withdraw Ryanair’s licence” (Fomento – El Mundo - 16 Aug)
False – only Irish safety authorities can withdraw the licence of an Irish registered airline.
2.  “The Spanish authorities are investigating 100 safety ‘cases’ over two years”
                                                                                                     (Fomento – El Mundo - 16 Aug)

False – the figure of 100 incidents is invented. Ryanair is aware of less than 10 safety investigations in Spain over the last 12 months covering over 120,000 Ryanair landings at Spanish airports.
3. “Ryanair puts “constant pressure” on pilots to cut costs” (SEPLA – 16 Aug)

False – Ryanair pilots cannot cut costs and are under no pressure other than to prioritize safety.
4. “Ryanair pilots get a bonus for not loading extra fuel” (Iberia Captain – ABC - 16 Aug)

False
5. “Ryanair do not carry legal minimum fuel” (Iberia Captain – ABC - 16 Aug)

      False
 
6.  “A grave breach occurred, which compromised passenger safety”.
                                                                                     (CEACCU Lawyer – 20 Minutos – 16 Aug)
            False

7. “Ryanair faces a €4.5m fine and suspension of licence for 3 years”.
                                                                                      (CEACCU Lawyer – 20 Minutos – 16 Aug)
            False
 
Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:
 
“Ryanair has an unblemished 28 year safety record. As the facts in these 3 cases prove, each of our aircraft arrived overhead Madrid with more than 1 hour and 30 mins of spare fuel, which exceeded their minimum requirements. Despite having to fly in holding patterns for over 1 hour, each of these 3 aircraft declared fuel emergencies when they began to approach their 30 min reserve landing fuel, and these 3 aircraft landed in Valencia with 28 mins, 31 mins and 34 mins of reserve fuel on board, without any threat to safety.
 
Each of these 3 Captains took extra fuel, each of them prioritised passenger safety and all 3 fully complied with the flight diversion directions of Spanish ATC and with Ryanair’s safety procedures which – in common with all other EU – requires them to declare a fuel emergency if they believe they are approaching their minimum landing fuel.
 
Ryanair will continue to defend the performance of its pilots in these 3 cases which clearly demonstrated their compliance with both Ryanair and European safety procedures. We condemn the false and baseless claims by SEPLA and other pilot unions (who should know better and behave more responsibly), also by the legal spokesman of the CEACCU (who should at least wait until he is in possession of facts before making false claims) and also the false claims allegedly made by an unidentified spokesperson for the Spanish Fomento.
 
In full compliance with our safety procedures, Ryanair notified these emergency fuel landings to the Irish Safety Authority on 27th July. Ryanair is happy to fully co-operate with their investigation, and we have the utmost confidence that the result of this investigation will prove that each of these 3 pilots arrived at Madrid with more than 90 minutes of surplus fuel, each of the 3 pilots landed in Valencia 61 mins, 68mins and 69 mins later, and all 3 pilots correctly and properly declared fuel emergencies when their aircraft were approaching their minimum (30 minutes) landing fuel, as required by EU safety regulations.
 
To correct the lack of balance or factual accuracy in the Spanish media in recent days, Ryanair would like to point out that this was 3 landings on Tue 26th July out of 55 daily Ryanair landings at Madrid, over 370 daily Ryanair landings at all Spanish airports and over 1,600 daily Ryanair landings across Europe. The thunderstorms over Madrid Airport on the evening of 26th July last were unusual, but Ryanair’s pilots handled them in a professional manner in full compliance with safety procedures and at no stage were the aircraft, the passengers or the crew ever placed in any danger.
 
Ryanair now calls on the Spanish media to give equal prominence to these facts and to require the SEPLA, CEACCU and the unidentified Spokesperson for the Fomento to withdraw their false and baseless claims, when there was no threat to Ryanair’s passengers or aircraft. Ryanair looks forward to publishing the results of the investigation of these 3 emergency landings in due course, which will confirm these facts and uphold the professionalism and the outstanding performance of Ryanair’s pilots.“
 
 

 

 
3 RYANAIR DIVERSIONS FROM MADRID TO VALENCIA 26 JULY 2012
Flight No.
 
FR2054
FR5998
FR5389
Route
 
Palma-Mad
London-Mad
Stockholm-Mad
 
 
 
 
 
Scheduled Departure Time (Local)
 
20.40hrs
19.00hrs
18.35hrs
Actual Departure Time (local)
 
20.50hrs
19.00hrs
18.32hrs
 
 
(10 mins late)
(on-time)
(on-time)
 
 
 
 
 
Scheduled Time Arrival (Mad - local)
 
22.00hrs
22.30hrs
22.20hrs
Actual Approach Time (Mad- local)
22.07hrs
22.11hrs
22.12hrs
ATC hold time over Madrid
 
    .07mins
    .23mins
   .22mins
Start of divert time to Valencia
 
22.14hrs
22.34hrs
22.34hrs
Landing time at Valencia (Local)
 
23.08hrs
23.20hrs
23.29hrs
 
 
 
 
 
Time from MAD approach to VLC landing
 
 1.01hrs
 1.09hrs
 1.17hrs
 
 
 
 
 
Landing fuel in VLC (kgs)
 
1029kgs
1160kgs
1228kgs
Equivalent flight time
 
(28 mins)
(31mins)
(34 mins)
Minimum landing fuel (30 mins) (kgs)
 
1104kgs
1119kgs
1090kgs
(Varies by a/c weight)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Click here to view presentation

 


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