Ryanair to Install Onboard Vending Machines

ian_m

Ryanair to Install Onboard Vending Machines

Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, has announced that it will install vending machines onboard its 225 aircraft in a drive to further reduce costs and increase ancillary revenues through increased passenger choice. From June 2010 Ryanair passengers will be able to purchase hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, snacks, ice-cream, condoms and smokeless cigarettes directly from onboard vending machines.

Ryanair said that the phased installation of vending machines will allow it to reduce its cabin crew teams onboard from four to two who will perform safety announcements and ensure passenger seatbelts are securely fastened. The substantial savings which this initiative will generate will then be passed on to the travelling public in the form of lower fares.

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said;

“Ryanair is delighted to announce the installation of our onboard vending machines which will provide passengers with an extensive choice of in-flight snacks and drinks, allowing Ryanair to reduce crew members, lower costs and pass on lower fares to the travelling public.

We are confident that our self-service vending machines and our more efficient cabin crew teams will prove popular this summer.”

punkindrublic

Purchasing condoms on the flight... They may see an increase of people using the bathrooms.. Then they can charge for that too

ian_m

& smokeless ciggys for the highflyers afterwards...

smellslikeshoes

I know it's April 1st but this actually sounds believable coming from Ryanair so I'm not sure :pac:

Skuxx

TBH I don't think it would be legal to fly with inly 2 cabin crew. A cabin attendent's job is by law to help passengers evacuate the cabin in event of an emergency and not to sell us all drinks, that is just something extra they do! There is a minimum number of cabin crew for a certain number a passengers. I'm just checking to college notes to get the accurate figures!

wittymoniker

two cabin crew per fifty PAX.

Skuxx

I don't think that is correct, 737-800 series A/C have 189 passenger seats. That would mean 8 cabin crew per A/C which they don't have.
I couldn't find the exact figures but from memory it is something like

• up to 12 passengers - no cabin crew required
• more than 12 passengers, one cabin crew per 50 passengers

That would mean 4 crew per A/C which is what they currently have.
Ryanair therefore can't replce cabin crew with vending machines. The amount of cabin crew is not decided by an airline, the minimums are set out in Jar Ops 1 - subpart N or O (can't remember which)

quinniesfingers

The real issue is the decline in glamour of cabin staff from the good old days.
Surprising given MOL's obsession with pin ups.

ian_m

The link is dead now. I guess we will have to wait until April 1st 2011 for further developments.

wittymoniker

sorry was half asleep when i wrote that! you're right, one crew per 50 PAX so this is a non-runner.