British pilots slam CEO bonus payments

LONDON - The British Airline Pilots Association has criticised the payment of huge bonuses to airline bosses at a time when many pilots and staff are bearing the financial brunt of Covid-19 in the shape of redundancies and furloughs.

It comes as an influential investor advisory firm has urged Ryanair shareholders to oppose boss Michael O'Leary`s proposed 458,000 euro annual bonus, in a non-binding vote later this month.

Criticism of O'Leary`s package follows the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) recommendation against British Airways owner IAG`s 883,000 pound ($1.17 million) send-off for retiring CEO Willie Walsh.

BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton said: "It beggars belief that airline bosses can shamelessly take government aid, slash jobs and then trouser huge bonuses. COVID-19 has hit aviation hard and unprecedented measures have been agreed by BALPA and the other unions to try and help companies survive."