Ryanair pilots ordered to 'fly slow to save dough'

Ryanair pilots have been told to fly more slowly - in a bid to save on fuel costs.

The new measure was unveiled in the airline's latest accounts, which were published on Monday.

The rising cost of aviation fuel represented almost half (47 per cent) of the airline's overheads, and has been eating into its profits.

The new "go-slow", which will see less fuel burned, will add an average of two minutes to every hour's flying time across Europe, reports The Times.

The report showed that in the three months to June, Ryanair's profit was £67.5 million, seeing a drop of 21 per cent.

The airline believes that, apart from fuel costs, the British heatwave has affected sales.

Howard Millar, Ryanair's deputy chief executive, told theEvening Standard: "While we've had the very good weather of the past couple of weeks, people are inclined to be out in the back garden, or out in the park, not at their desks in front of a hot computer."

The accounts also showed that passenger add-on fees, or 'ancillary' items, delivered a quarter of Ryanair's revenue of £308 million, an average of £13.29 per passenger, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Ryanair has often been criticised for its array of passenger fees, which include £10 for specific seating reservations and £50 for overweight luggage.

Former Westlife star Brian MacFadden recently branded the airline's boss, Michael O'Leary, a "scumbag" after the airline attempted to charge him an extra £150 for not printing his boarding pass and carrying extra luggage when he tried to check in for a flight to Spain at Liverpool Airport.

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