Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, has just fired its chief pilot following an internal disciplinary hearing. My gosh, this guy sounds awful…
In this post:
How Ryanair’s chief pilot harassed young female pilots
58-year-old Aidan Murray has just been fired as chief pilot at Ryanair, a position he has held since 2020. For those not familiar with the concept of a chief pilot, this is a really high position — in addition to doing a limited amount of flying, a chief pilot oversees all flight operations. Murray has been at Ryanair since 1995, so that’s quite a career he has had at the carrier up until now.
In a memo to employees, Ryanair’s Chief People Officer, Darrell Hughes, said the following:
“We regret to advise all of you that last evening we terminated with immediate effect the employment of the Ryanair DAC chief pilot (who was appointed in 2020). This decision follows an investigation over recent days which identified a pattern of repeated inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour towards a number of female junior pilots, which was in breach of our anti-harassment policy. We are determined to ensure that all our people can come to work in a safe and secure environment.”
So, what exactly happened? Murray’s career came tumbling down a few weeks ago, following some allegations from junior female staff. Eight female staff between the ages of 21 and 32 provided statements about Murray’s misconduct, which happened in the past 12-18 months. Among other things:
- Murray would send text messages to junior female pilots, offering to support their careers
- Murray would then text and say that they had an “amazing body” and “amazing ass,” and he’d then ask them for pictures of their bodies, promising they wouldn’t be shared
- Murray then changed around rosters of crew members so that he could regularly fly with some of these junior female pilots; about two-thirds of the flights he took were with these pilots
What a disgusting, abusive jerk
Kudos to the women who came forward and shared their truth. It’s sickening how Murray abused his position of power. I imagine at first, these pilots felt great about being contacted by the chief pilot and having him offer to mentor them… until he made it sexual.
It’s never okay to act like this in a workplace, but it’s especially bad in the airline industry, where the position of pilot is almost exclusively seniority based. It’s not like you can easily just find a similar job with a similar lifestyle and pay at another airline.
I imagine these women must have been scared when they came forward against the most powerful pilot at the airline. I hope Murray thinks long and hard about what he put these women through…
Bottom line
Ryanair has fired its chief pilot for harassing his young female colleagues. Specifically, he’s accused of sending texts to young female pilots, offering to mentor them, only to later compliment them on their bodies and rears. He’d then even change their rosters so that they’d fly with him. At least eight staff have come forward, and now the guy is out of a job, as he should be.
What do you make of this horrible behavior from Ryanair’s chief pilot?
Maybe these women should do an E. Jean Carroll and sue his butt for sexual harrassment.
I believe there is no room in the airline business for such behavior by senior staff. Anyone acting like this should be reported right away and brought up to upper management. Female staff on any level should report any type of contact like this to their supervisors right away.
How did he think this was alright and did he actually think these young pilots wouldn’t say something?
Sorry Murray, but you did this to yourself.
When you have an ego that (big), they all think they’re invincible. Some of those Pilots will also think, “hey, I’m doing the female junior pilots a favor”.
“We regret to inform you…” why not leave out “regret” and just say “we inform you that we’re firing (this guy).”
RIGHT!!!
Kudos to Ryanair
Everybody is entitled to a safe work area,
Is the ex-employee going to collect "UNEMPLOYMENT"benefits?
He's likely in Ireland, so different rules apply.
He was fired for cause. Negative on unemployment.
Sounds like a Trumpanzee poster child.
Set an example: Take away his pension!!
I wonder what he’s like at home? A total ass there too?
Guarantee he's been behaving this way most of his life not just career. This is just what we know. Who knows how many women he has harassed over the decades. He deserves a cell mate named Bubba to show him what he did to other women.
Thank you for your strong, vivid language. I'll be writing about this on The Landing, my Substack dedicated specifically to giving a voice and a platform to women in the U.S. airline industry who are subjected to the worst xesual violence on a routine basis and are punished, ignored and retaliated against if they dare speak up. When I googled the RyanAir story, I scrolled through all the usual euphemisms and dry language that came...
Thank you for your strong, vivid language. I'll be writing about this on The Landing, my Substack dedicated specifically to giving a voice and a platform to women in the U.S. airline industry who are subjected to the worst xesual violence on a routine basis and are punished, ignored and retaliated against if they dare speak up. When I googled the RyanAir story, I scrolled through all the usual euphemisms and dry language that came up, like they're writing about a new brand of toaster---and then i came upon your story. BRAVO. This is how it gets better: changing how we talk about this and normalizing believing victims.
not sure if we can add links but here's the story where I quoted you. Many thanks.
-Sara https://sarahammel.substack.com/p/ryanair-pervert-fired-why-wont-us
How are men supposed to find and sleep with people a fraction of their age anymore if they aren't allowed to use their position to coerce them?
What? You expect men to be able to attract women just based on their personality?
That's why politicians keep trying to change electoral maps in order to win. They can't just win based on good performance for us little people who elected them. Me thinks there is a trend here.
LOL.
Kudos to Ryanair for clearly communicating to employees that he was fired and why. I've seen several terminations, including for sexual harassment, at several employers, and they were all announced in bland terms that left everyone thinking that the perp must have got away with it.
I'm always amazed at the stupidity of people. Great that he got fired! In this day and age how in the world can anyone be so stupid?! Imagine how bad it is when these kind of jerks have no fear of anything happening to them?!
It's inappropriate to send these kinds of texts for harassments.
But it's okay to send advanced weapons to kill people in a proxy war.
All the things you can get away in a position of power.
Point...missed!
Did you know that this piece is not about advanced weapons and/or killing people in a proxy war?
Try reading it again.
Go on! You can do it!
What an ass hat comment, even from you
Quick! Who's Russia's proxy?
Eskimo got confused about sexual harrassment and warfare
Good riddance.
Good on Ryanair for taking corrective action.
Lol after years and years of abusive behaviour. I mean he did not started yesterday. It was like that before and it was known. But now they have no option but to fire. But before management was as guilty as him.
Off topic but I'm curious as to why you have a "bottom line" paragraph? We just read your post and now you re-write it again in summary form?
Is this for those that have a hard time comprehending what they are reading? ;-)
Thanks
It's for someone who doesn't have the time to read the whole page and just wanted to read the gist of it all. For example, for me, I'd read the full article if it's about diversion, or other aircraft technical issues, but I'd totally skip and go straight for the summary for aircraft purchase orders, hotel loyalty benefits sack (since I don't do hotel loyalty program)
@Eddie
That's what they want you to believe in the propaganda.
The truth is, it's to add word count to manipulate Google into thinking a page have more valuable content and giving it a better search ranking.
@Eskimo Can't both be true? That it serves a useful purpose for some readers, and gives a format and consistency to the posts, and is engineered for SEO, because what successful website doesn't want to be?
@Eddie, that’s not the case at all.
More importantly, however (IMO), is that the “Bottom Line” is basically a cut and paste from earlier in the post. A summation would work (better) if it is written well.
Thanks...
Bottom Line:
Thanks... ;-)
He spent 28 years at the company, and this behavior had to have been widely known and overlooked before he was promoted to Chief Pilot. Most likely a situation where HR only acted when they were given enough indisputable evidence and understood the enormous liability he created.
Could also have been that his new position gave him information and opportunites that his previous positions did not. Awful.
Glad to hear this disgusting predator is gone from the organization