Current affairs-Ryanair On Strike Again...

The boss of Europe's biggest low-cost airline has promised to increase the pay and working conditions of pilots to stop them leaving the company. Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, made a personal pledge to the budget carrier's 4,200 pilots to address concerns that pilots are dissatisfied and want to quit the company. Pilots have been offered salary increases of up to $11,700 and loyalty bonuses of $14,000. A long-serving pilot told the BBC this was, "too little, too late." He said: "There is a lack of basic benefits [for pilots] - no free bottles of water, coffee or tea and no crew meals." He said pilots also had to buy their own uniform. He added: "People have just had enough of the toxic atmosphere."

Mr O'Leary is attempting to repair the damage done to Ryanair's reputation after a scheduling error with pilot holidays. The costly mistake meant more than 20,000 flights have been cancelled recently because of a lack of available pilots. This has affected over 700,000 passengers. An industry analyst said the airline made this costly error, "by initially disrespecting the skill set of pilots". He added: "In a rare move, [Ryanair] is being forced to backpedal, apologize and meet [pilots'] pay demands." O'Leary is confident that pilots will stay. He said: "I urge you to stay with Ryanair for a brighter, better future for you and your family." He added: "We are a very secure employer in a very insecure industry."

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

1. The airline in the article is Europe's biggest low-cost carrier.     T / F
2. The airline employs almost 42,000 pilots.     T / F
3. The airline offered a salary increase of up to $14,000.     T / F
4. The airline provides pilots with uniforms free of charge.     T / F
5. The airline made a mistake with its pilots' holiday schedule.     T / F
6. Over 700,000 passengers have been affected by flight cancellations.     T / F
7. The article said pedals on airplanes weren't put back.     T / F
8. The airline is fairly sure that its pilots will not quit.     T / F

Comprehension questions

1. What kind of airline is Ryanair?
2. How many pilots does Ryanair have?
3. How much are the loyalty bonuses that Ryanair is offering?
4. Who buys the uniforms for the pilots?
5. How did a pilot describe the atmosphere as Ryanair as being?
6. What part of Ryanair was damaged because of a scheduling error?
7. How many passengers were affected by cancelled flights?
8. What did an industry analyst say Ryanair had to meet?
9. What kind of future did the CEO suggest could be had by not quitting?
10. How did the CEO describe the airline industry as being?