The budget carrier has launched a new pilot training programme in France in partnership with Astonfly.

It said the partnership would ensure a supply of pilots to support its growth in Europe.

Ryanair said the scheme would give pilots a "structured path" to reach a standard where they are ready to take the airline’s Boeing 737 type rating programme.

Ryanair’s director of operations Neal McMahon said the partnership highlighted the airline’s commitment to "supporting, developing and recruiting pilots in the region for current and future positions".

Head of crew training, captain Senan O’Shea, said the Astonfly programme would provide Ryanair a "steady pipeline of talented and professional pilots from around Europe" to meet its growth plans.

O’Shea added in total, Ryanair would look to hire up to 1,000 pilots across its flying programme over the next four years.

Charles Clair, president of Clair Group, which operates Astonfly, added Ryanair’s commitment underlined signs of strong post-pandemic recovery in international air transport.