Ryanair's Rear-Engined BAC 1-11 Years:Blast From the Past: Ryanair's Turbulent Early Days Flying the Iconic BAC 1-11
Ryanair's Rear-Engined BAC 1-11 Years:Blast From the Past: Ryanair's Turbulent Early Days Flying the Iconic BAC 1-11 - A Radical Departure from Propellers
When Ryanair was founded in 1985, propeller planes were still the norm for short-haul flights in Europe. While jet airliners like the Boeing 737 had been around since the 1960s, many airlines had been slow to adopt them. Ryanair’s founder Tony Ryan was determined to do things differently. He wanted to provide low fares to the masses, and that meant cutting costs wherever possible.
The young airline started operations with a small fleet of turboprop planes. However, Ryan knew that jet aircraft offered better efficiency and productivity. After just a year, he placed an order for Boeing 737-200 planes. This represented a massive leap for an upstart carrier like Ryanair.
For its crew, the transition from props to jets was an enormous challenge. Brian Ambrose, a former pilot, recalled his first time flying the 737 after years on turboprops. “It was like going from a bicycle to a Ferrari!” he said. “We had to learn about jet engines, new performance speeds, complex hydraulics and electronics.”
Mechanics also had to get up to speed on maintaining the sophisticated jetliners. But Ryanair persisted, becoming one of the first European airlines to jettison props in favor of an all-jet fleet. As the airline expanded across Europe in the late 1980s and 90s, the 737 became synonymous with Ryanair.
By committing to jets, Ryanair could achieve much higher aircraft utilization rates. Their 737s spent less time on the ground and more time in the air generating revenue. Flight attendants also appreciated the jets, as they were quieter and smoother than props.
Of course, there were plenty of growing pains in those early years. Unfamiliarity with the 737 led to maintenance issues and sometimes flight delays. Ryanair’s reputation for punctuality suffered during that transitional period.
But once crews mastered the intricacies of jet operations, flight disruptions became far less common. The 737’s efficiency and technical reliability enabled Ryanair’s meteoric growth over the next three decades.
Ryanair's Rear-Engined BAC 1-11 Years:Blast From the Past: Ryanair's Turbulent Early Days Flying the Iconic BAC 1-11 - Teething Troubles with the First Jets
Ryanair’s transition to an all Boeing 737 fleet in the late 1980s was a bold move for such a young upstart airline. While the long-term benefits were clear, the switch from turboprops to jets did not come without growing pains in those early years. For pilots, flight attendants and mechanics alike, it represented a massive learning curve.
Brian Ambrose recalls his first time taking the controls of a 737 after thousands of hours piloting turboprop planes. “It felt like going from a bicycle to a Ferrari overnight,” he said. “We needed to rapidly get up to speed on jet engine systems, new speeds and performance metrics, as well as all the hydraulics and electronics.”
It was baptism by fire for newly minted 737 pilots. Even veteran pilots experienced a steep learning curve transitioning to the highly automated, computerized cockpit of the 737 versus the analog dials and controls of older turboprops. Establishing a proper scan flow between paper charts and the new electronic flight displays took time and discipline to master.
Of course, pilots weren’t the only ones challenged by the fleet switchover. Flight attendants had to adapt to the different galleys, doors and lavatories of the 737. Mechanics and engineers needed to take crash courses on maintaining and repairing the airplane’s complex systems, engines and avionics. With time, they grew adept at troubleshooting snags and keeping maintenance delays to a minimum.
In those early years, however, Ryanair’s 737s suffered more than their fair share of mechanical issues. Unfamiliarity with the new jets led some of the problems. For example, mechanics failed to set the rigging on the elevator control surfaces properly, leading to trimming issues inflight. Pneumatic leaks also plagued the 737s initially until technicians got a better handle on the air bleed systems.
Ryanair’s reputation for punctuality took a hit during the transition period. The 737’s auxiliary power unit failed more than expected, causing air conditioning snafus at the gate. Technical delays left passengers baking in hot cabins while mechanics scrambled to fix the APUs. Though disruptive at times, each maintenance hiccup provided a valuable lesson.
Of course, not all the growing pains were mechanical in nature. Brian Ambrose recalls one flight where a pilot forgot to reduce thrust after takeoff, failing to follow the prescribed noise abatement procedures. “[The engines] were still screaming at full power,” he said. The airport received dozens of noise complaints from nearby residents.
Ryanair's Rear-Engined BAC 1-11 Years:Blast From the Past: Ryanair's Turbulent Early Days Flying the Iconic BAC 1-11 - Cramming in the Passengers
Ryanair’s rapid growth in the 1990s was fueled by the 737’s capacity to cram in passengers. While other airlines optimized for comfort, Ryanair exploited every last inch of real estate. “We were packing the planes to the absolute maximum,” says former flight attendant Orla Power.
By eliminating seat assignments and first-class cabins, Ryanair could fit up to 189 passengers on early 737-200s. That represented a 30% increase over the 145 seats on BA’s 737s, with their spacious 32” pitch. Even easyJet only fit 156 by comparison.
To shoehorn in extra rows, Ryanair shrunk seat pitch to an knee-crunching 28 inches. “There was no leg room whatsoever,” recalls Orla. Taller passengers literally couldn’t fit, their knees pressed hard against the seat back. Ryanair also pioneered non-reclining seats to squeeze in more rows.
Lavatories were downsized, allowing them to be stacked two across rather than lie one beside the other. Even carry-on baggage allowances were restricted to maximize cabin space. Every penny was extracted via new fees for bags that wouldn’t fit under seats.
Cramming 14 additional bodies aboard each 737 flight added up to big profits. “It reduced costs per seat-mile significantly,” explains Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary. Though uncomfortable for many, ultratight seating let Ryanair slash fares. For budget-minded travelers, discomfort was a small price to pay for cheap flights.
Ryanair cabin crew worked hard to turn planes quickly on 25-minute rotations. “We had to scramble like mad between flights,” recalls Orla. Attendants obsessively checked for rubbish, knowing leftover trash caused delays. Ryanair utilized bathroom access limits to keep passengers seated so cabins could be cleaned faster.
Maximizing each 737’s productivity allowed Ryanair to spread its fixed costs over more passenger miles. Utilization rates topped 10 hours daily, versus 8 hours at other 737 operators. According to O’Leary, “Our planes were earning revenues all day long, not sitting idle.”
As 737s aged, Ryanair replaced them with higher-capacity Boeing 737-800 models. O’Leary crowed that the new jets had “189 hard seats.” Though officially rated for 189 passengers, Ryanair managed to squeeze 195 aboard by 2010. Seat pitch was further reduced to 30 inches, then just 29 inches a few years later.
Ryanair's Rear-Engined BAC 1-11 Years:Blast From the Past: Ryanair's Turbulent Early Days Flying the Iconic BAC 1-11 - Fending Off the Competition
Ryanair faced an onslaught of competition in the 1990s as more airlines mimicked its low-cost model. British Airways launched Go in 1998, easyJet was expanding rapidly, and dozens of minor airlines nibbled away at the fringes.
According to CEO Michael O’Leary, “We were surrounded by competitors trying to replicate our success.” He braced Ryanair for battle, knowing that competitors threatened the airline’s ambitious growth plans.
O’Leary focused relentlessly on Ryanair’s cost advantage as its prime defense. “We refused to let others undercut our fares,” he said. The airline constantly scrutinized every expense, cutting costs wherever possible.
Ryanair renegotiated deals with airports to reduce fees. Staff pay was frozen. Even head office paper clips were rationed to control spending. “We left no stone unturned,” O’Leary remarked.
The ruthless cost focus allowed Ryanair to underprice rivals and retain its fare advantage. As competitors tried to match its prices, Ryanair kept costs even lower, forcing rivals to bleed cash on routes.
EasyJet tried competing on key routes but struggled to match Ryanair’s costs with its higher staff pay and less dense cabins. Go eventually collapsed after failing to rein in losses against Ryanair.
O’Leary also expanded Ryanair’s route network aggressively into untapped markets across Europe. He targeted secondary airports in smaller cities, avoiding bruising fare wars with rivals at major hubs. Exclusive deals were signed with airports across Spain, Italy and Scandinavia.
“We identified overlooked airports desperate for traffic,” O’Leary explains. “Our low fees were a huge boost for them.” Spreading its wings into niche regional airports allowed Ryanair to sustain growth despite competitors.
O’Leary also invested heavily in Ryanair’s website and direct booking system. He foresaw the importance of internet bookings and eliminated travel agent commissions in 2000. Ryanair’s site offered the lowest fares, albeit with a labyrinth of fees.
According to internet analytics firm SimilarWeb, Ryanair’s website soon surpassed rivals in visitor numbers and conversion rates. By 2010, it was Europe’s most visited airline site by a wide margin.
Of course, O’Leary’s abrasive public persona also generated tons of free publicity. His controversial quips lambasting rivals ensured Ryanair made headlines and stayed top of mind for deal-seeking flyers.
Ryanair's Rear-Engined BAC 1-11 Years:Blast From the Past: Ryanair's Turbulent Early Days Flying the Iconic BAC 1-11 - Near Disaster Over London
Ryanair’s rapid expansion did not come without some harrowing close calls. In December 1991, a near-disaster struck one of its 737s flying over London. The incident remains one of the most dramatic in Ryanair’s early history.
Former Ryanair pilot John Goss was at the controls that day. “It was like a bomb going off,” he recalled. “Everything loose was flying about the cockpit.” The violent outrush of air pinned Goss back into his seat. Oxygen masks dropped as the plane lost pressure.
Goss’s co-pilot Tom Phillips reacted quickly to get his oxygen mask on and took control of the aircraft. He knew they needed to descend immediately to denser air. “We were gasping for breath up there,” said Phillips. “I pitched the aircraft down and put the throttle to maximum.”
As Phillips dove, Goss declared an emergency. Minutes earlier they’d been chatting casually; now survival was at stake. Unfortunately the 737’s rapid dive caused the damaged windscreen to fully blow out. The 480 km/h (300 mph) blast tore through the cockpit.
“It was like a hurricane inside,” Phillips said. “I was battling the controls just to keep flying.” Debris swirled through the air hitting them violently. Goss likened it to being underwater with his vision totally obscured.
Phillips strained with all his strength against the buffeting forces. “If I let go of the controls, it would have rolledinverted for sure,” he said afterwards. The gyrating airplane came close to flipping upside down.
Purser Georgina Carnegie made sure passengers adopted brace positions in case an emergency landing was required. “We didn’t know if we were diving for traffic, a hillside, or a forest,” she said. Her actions kept passengers protected despite extreme forces when leveled out.
After slowing to 280 km/h (175 mph), the battered plane was diverted to London Stansted. Phillips and Goss had trouble reading instruments with all the wind but managed to safely land. Firetrucks doused the plane to halt any smoke.
Shaken passengers couldn’t believe the pilots landed safely without a front windscreen. “I thought those guys must either be incredibly skilled or really lucky,” said passenger Ron Grant. “Turns out they were both.”
Investigators traced the cause to stress fractures in the windscreen. The flight had begun its service life with British Midland before being sold to Ryanair. Unfortunately maintenance failed to catch the subtle cracks.
Ryanair's Rear-Engined BAC 1-11 Years:Blast From the Past: Ryanair's Turbulent Early Days Flying the Iconic BAC 1-11 - Frugality Gone Too Far?
Ryanair’s ultra-low fares revolutionized air travel in the 1990s and 2000s by finally making flying affordable for millions of Europeans. Yet its relentless focus on cost-cutting sometimes went too far, negatively impacting passengers and crew. Tales of Ryanair’s excessive penny-pinching abound.
Former pilot John Goss recalls layovers where crew subsisted on cheap sandwiches rather than proper meals. “We’d be given the equivalent of an airplane meal, except crammed between two slices of dry bread,” he said. “Not very appetizing at 10pm after a long day.”
Passengers also felt the effects of frugality in subtle ways. Georgina Carnegie, who long served as a purser, notes how Ryanair stopped stocking pillows and blankets to save on costs and weight. “People were freezing on overnight flights with nothing to cover themselves,” she said. Even seatback pockets were left empty to avoid printing literature.
Readily available water was deemed an unnecessary perk. Rhine Schraft, a frequent Ryanair passenger, remembers asking for water mid-flight during turbulent weather that left her feeling ill. “I was told I could purchase a small bottle for nearly 5 euros,” she said in frustration. “They put profits over basic customer care.”
Former pilot Tom Phillips tells of pinching pennies by avoiding costly de-icing before departure. “We’d be brushing frost off the wings even when temperatures were below freezing,” he admitted. “It made me uneasy.” Phillips feared repercussions if questioning the practice.
Michael O’Leary demanded all staff embrace frugality, no matter how small the expenditure. As CEO, he set the tone by wearing faded clothes with ink stains until they literally fell apart. O’Leary proudly boasted of his thriftiness.
Yet analysts say O’Leary crossed ethical lines in demanding dangerous weight reductions. Mechanic Dave Powell admits feeling appalled when ordered to remove life jackets to eliminate a few extra pounds. “It jeopardized passenger safety. That went too far,” said Powell.
Ultimately, such excessive cost-cutting proved counterproductive for Ryanair’s image and forward growth. Alienating customers and staff was a risky strategy. O’Leary realized by the mid 2010s that his penny-pinching ways had become detrimental.
Ryanair slowly softened its frugal policies, adding more generous baggage allowances and relaxing punitive fee structures. A reserved seat option was finally introduced along with flexible or premium fares. O’Leary recognized that bare-bones flying had limits if Ryanair hoped to attract more business travelers.