Ryanair chief operations officer Michael Hickey is to leave the airline at the end of this month.
Hickey was responsible for pilot rosters, which were at the centre of a ‘mess-up’ which led to the cancellation of thousands of Ryanair flights.
Chief executive Michael O’Leary said Hickey will be a hard act to follow.
The announcement came as O’Leary sent a letter to Ryanair pilots thanking them for their dedication and offering them salary increases, loyalty bonuses, improved rostering and better compensation for those who have to work away from their home base.
But pilots union BALPA dismissed the gesture as ‘half-hearted’.
"Our feedback from Ryanair pilots who have seen Michael O’Leary’s Letter suggests that he still doesn’t get it," said BALPA general secretary Brian Strutton.
"Pilots from bases all over the UK have told us that they don’t want half-hearted excuses to shut them up," he said.
"They tell us that they want genuine respect and for their European ERC to be the recognised representative body for Ryanair pilots. Until they are given that, Ryanair will have a problem with its pilots."
