Ryanair has paid a former pilot £40,000 two years after he was sacked for passing fellow crew members trade union leaflets during a flight.
The British Airline Pilots Association described the out-of-court settlement for Captain James Anderson, who was claiming unfair dismissal, as a "significant victory".
Anderson, who was a BALPA member, was sacked by Ryanair on the grounds of gross misconduct after he handed out leaflets to crew during a flight from Stansted to Majorca.
The airline claimed Anderson had endangered passengers but it offered him the pay-out shortly before a three-day employment tribunal in London.
BALPA general secretary Jim McAuslan said: "We regard this as a significant victory. As a professional association representing all commercial airline pilots, BALPA is proud to support each and every member, whichever airline they fly for."
By Linsey McNeill
