Ryanair’s 25-minute turnaround: powered by Zello

300K messages sent monthly

0 communication failures

70% faster investigations

As Europe’s largest airline group, Ryanair prides itself on a 25-minute plane turnaround time. This feat requires fast, reliable communication, but radios often created delays. Range was limited, batteries died quickly, and sound quality was so poor that messages needed repeating. After over 100 communication-related incidents reported in nine months, Ryanair turned to Zello.

In less than a week, Ryanair trained and set up Zello channels for over 6,000 users in 36 airports. Now, over 300,000 voice messages are exchanged by Ryanair employees every month. By replaying messages and sending images, employees can effectively communicate in noisy, bustling airports.

Two years after the rollout, Ryanair has reported 0 communication-related failures, and over 90% of their team rated Zello “very easy to use.” Furthermore, safety officers estimate the ability to audit messages in Zello has led to a 70% reduction in time spent investigating incidents like lost baggage.

Our communication is now as fast-paced as our turnarounds. Zello is the backbone of our operations.

Cesar Jerez

Operations Control Center Deputy Lead Agent

How Ryanair uses Zello

Ryanair relies on Zello for all aspects of their operations from check-in to boarding. There are channels for each airport area, plus a general channel for each airport. Ramp and gate agents use Zello to talk about luggage that requires special care and to confirm the final count of bags. They also use Zello to coordinate passenger transportation to the plane before boarding. Engineers use Zello to communicate any technical issues to the broader team.

Zello is also used in the Operations Control Center. These employees monitor the flight tracker and use Zello to notify the team on the ground if there are any delays.

Communication made easy for airlines

For Ryanair, Zello provides significantly more efficient communication than radios. The clarity of sound even over long distances and the ability to replay messages is crucial when communicating exact numbers in loud environments. Because flights require so much documentation, the ability to send images of baggage tags and load sheets saves time and creates an auditable paper trail. The team loves how easy it is to use Zello, even for gloved hands.

Ryanair continues to discover new use cases for Zello. Most recently, after experiencing too many missed emails, employees now send voice messages to inform their managers if they will be late or miss a shift.

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