Pilots reject Ryanair allegations

A number of Ryanair pilots have rejected claims by Ryanair management before the High Court that the pilots were threatened and intimidated by other pilots about returning to Dublin in 2004 to retrain, under controversial terms, on new aircraft acquired by the airline.

Capt John Gale told the court yesterday he had felt "victimised" and "intimidated", not by other pilots, but rather when he was attending a meeting in November 2004 with a member of Ryanair management, Warwick Brady, about returning to Dublin.

Capt Gale was based in Stansted at that time. While he wished to return to Dublin, he had understood he would have to remain in Stansted for about another year and had bought a house and car there. He said Mr Brady told him he had two-and-a-half days to sign the contract for returning to Dublin.

Mr Brady told him that, if he did not take up the Dublin offer then, he would never return to Dublin.

Captain Gale also told the court he took steps to inform Ryanair management that he had never said that another senior Ryanair pilot, Capt John Goss, had threatened pilots about returning to Dublin.

Capt Gale said he told Ryanair's chief pilot, Capt Ray Conway, that Capt Goss had issued no such threats and Capt Conway said he would "cut the balls off" any person who spread rumours to that effect. In separate High Court proceedings, Capt Goss, who has always denied he ever made threats or engaged in intimidation, sued Ryanair after the airline initiated disciplinary proceedings against him. Those proceedings were later settled.

He also told Mr Brady in December 2004 of his concern that his [Capt Gale's] name was being used as the source of claims of intimidation by Capt Goss.

Mr Brady had said not to worry, that he had "plenty of evidence" about Capt Goss from postings on the Ryanair European Pilots Association website, the witness said. He had never felt cold-shouldered about returning to Dublin but rather felt welcomed, he said.

Capt Gale was giving evidence on the third day of proceedings in which Ryanair is seeking to identify persons engaged in communications on a pilots website. It claims the messages show evidence of wrongful activity against Ryanair and its employees.

The action by Ryanair is against Neil Johnston, an official with the trade union Impact, the Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa) and its British counterpart, Balpa.

Ryanair claim the defendants have a duty to name people identified by the codenames "ihateryanair", "cantfly-wontfly" and others on the Ryanair European Pilots Association website. It claims the website was established by and is controlled by Ialpa and Balpa - a claim denied by both groups.

The court heard yesterday that Ryanair had subpoenaed a number of its pilots to give evidence in the action.

One of those pilots, Capt Gale, told the court he phoned Capt John Goss in November 2004 to inform him that he, Capt Gale, was not the person making allegations about Capt Goss.

He said he liked and respected Capt Goss, who had trained him, and was amazed that Capt Goss could be linked with alleged intimidation.

Another pilot, Capt Andrew Walters, who was also in court under subpoena, was asked yesterday about evidence given to the court by Capt Jack Bagnall to the effect that Capt Walters had told Capt Bagnall that Capt Goss had threatened him in relation to returning to Dublin.

Capt Walters said he had no recollection of having any such conversation with Capt Bagnall but he was 100 per cent sure he never had any conversation with Capt Goss about the matters in 2004 relating to retraining. He did not remember having a conversation with Capt Bagnall "but I'm not going to make up lies about John Goss so I would say I never had that conversation", he said. Capt Walters added that he had never felt bullied, threatened, harassed or excluded as a result of taking up the position in Dublin.

Earlier yesterday, at the close of his evidence, Capt Bagnall said there was no note of the conversation which he had told the court he had with Capt Walters. He agreed that the conversation was the basis for an investigation initiated by Ryanair relating to Capt Goss. He said he had given a summary of his conversation to Mr Brady. He said it was a casual conversation during a chance encounter with Capt Walters.

When Brian O'Moore SC, for Ialpa, said that it was "almost as if the conversation had never happened", Capt Bagnall said he would not agree with that. He said he had reported the conversation because he perceived there could be a breach of Ryanair's personnel regulations. He believed Capt Walters was concerned about his transfer to Dublin. The case resumes on Tuesday before Mr Justice Thomas Smyth.