Budget Airlines Shop the World for Cheaper Pilots
Ryanair and Norwegian Air Shuttle are turning to the cockpit for ways to trim costs
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Travelers have demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice comfort and convenience for cheap airfares. Now this low-cost ethos is extending into the cockpit, with budget airlines chasing the lowest pay and most relaxed work rules for pilots.
Discount carriers in Europe are using creative hiring arrangements to slash labor costs. Some of these practices, such as hiring pilots through outside employment agencies, are fairly common in the industry. But the cost-cutting envelope has been pushed furthest by Norwegian Air Shuttle and Ireland's Ryanair, among others, with measures designed to dodge labor regulations and taxes in countries where their pilots are based.