{"id":605502,"date":"2026-07-26T20:32:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T20:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/605502\/"},"modified":"2026-07-26T20:32:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T20:32:51","slug":"ryanair-sacked-captain-who-used-legal-authority-to-extend-rest-period-for-cabin-crew-after-long-day-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/605502\/","title":{"rendered":"Ryanair Sacked Captain Who Used Legal Authority to Extend Rest Period For Cabin Crew After Long Day at Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

The European low-cost behemoth, Ryanair, allegedly sacked a Captain based at the airline\u2019s Barcelona hub who used his legal authority to extend the rest period for a group of cabin crew who had worked beyond normal working hours under a special provision called \u2018Commander\u2019s Discretion.\u2019<\/p>\n

The SEPLA pilots\u2019 union, which represents some of Ryanair\u2019s pilots in Spain, said the decision sent a \u201cdeeply worrying\u201d message to pilots who could fear disciplinary proceedings and termination for taking a safety-related approach to fatigue management.<\/p>\n

In Europe, there are extensive rules covering the maximum number of hours that pilots and cabin crew can work. The rules are commonly known as \u2018Flight Duty Limitations\u2019 and are set by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to prevent the risk of fatigue-induced accidents.<\/p>\n

Pilots and cabin crew who work short-haul flights without special in-flight rest facilities are only legally permitted to work a maximum duty day of up to 13 hours. In \u2018unforeseen situations\u2019, however, this duty limit can be extended by up to two hours through the use of Commander\u2019s Discretion.<\/p>\n

Commander\u2019s Discretion gives the Captain of the plane the ultimate authority to decide whether the maximum duty limit will be extended, taking into account their own tiredness levels and those of their crew.<\/p>\n

In the case of the Ryanair Captain who was recently terminated, he used this discretion to extend the duty period for his crew. Once back at base, the Captain then used another element of his power under Commander\u2019s Discretion to extend the minimum rest period of the crew.<\/p>\n

It was this decision that reportedly led to disciplinary proceedings against the Captain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe communication sent by the company itself recognizes that the commander exercised this discretion to complete the operation and that, subsequently, he extended the rest of the crew, facts that have served as the basis for the disciplinary procedure that has culminated with his dismissal,\u201d the SEPLA union noted.<\/p>\n

The union further explained: \u201cWhen a commander considers that operational circumstances require the use of discretion or that the rest initially planned may not be sufficient to guarantee a safe operation, he must be able to act exclusively according to his professional criteria, free from any pressure or fear of reprisals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo commander should be forced to choose between protecting flight safety and protecting their employment.\u201d<\/p>\n

EASA says that Commander\u2019s Discretion should only ever be used when\u00a0unforeseen circumstances beyond the airline\u2019s control have occurred that would result in a plane, its crew, and its passengers being stranded.<\/p>\n

There is, however, a lot of debate about what constitutes \u2018unforeseen circumstances,\u2019 and EASA points out that airlines should be leaving enough padding in their schedules to avoid pilots having to rely on Commander\u2019s Discretion for day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n

That is not, however, what is happening in reality, the European Cockpit Association says. The pan-European pilots\u2019 association claims airlines routinely \u201cpack pilot schedules\u201d even when they know that delays are likely to happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey expect pilots to use Commander\u2019s Discretion to make the day work. It\u2019s no longer the exception \u2013 it\u2019s part of the plan,\u201d the association said last week.<\/p>\n

The SEPLA union says it is exploring all available legal means to get the sacked Captain his job back.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tMateusz Maszczynski<\/a>
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Mateusz Maszczynski honed his skills as an international flight attendant at the most prominent airline in the Middle East and has been flying ever since… most recently for a well known European airline. Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. Always keeping an ear close to the ground, Matt’s industry insights, analysis and news coverage is frequently relied upon by some of the biggest names in journalism.<\/p>\n