UK RYANAIR PILOTS have announced a strike from 18 to 29 September to press for better working conditions and pay, the trade union for UK pilots announced today.

The pilots had already refused to work on August 20 and 23, along with this week, but without disrupting the carrier’s operations in a major way, the British Airline Pilots Association acknowledged.

“Pilots in Ryanair are seeking the same kind of policies and agreements that exist in other airlines – our demands are not unreasonable,” said a statement issued by the union. 

Ryanair is facing strike action in several countries, in particular in Spain where a strike has also been called this month to protest the planned closing of some airport bases.

The airline said it would shut its Canary Islands bases of Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria as well as Girona from January after a review showed “significant overcapacity in the European short-haul market”.

The strike by Irish-based pilots was called off after a High Court ruling last month.

However, Ryanair lost its High Court bid in London to secure an injunction against pilots beginning industrial action last month in the UK. 

In late July, the airline said it would cut 900 jobs from its total workforce of 13,000.

It blamed delays in delivery of Boeing 737 MAX 200 aircraft that were grounded following two fatal accidents.