Over the past 30 years, Ryanair has succeeded in becoming one of Europe’s leading airliners. This success mainly comes from its decision to adopt a discount business model. In social terms, Ryanair is characterised by a personnel policy that prioritises keeping costs low while doing everything possible to increase productivity and flexibility. It combines this approach with an overtly anti-union stance that includes the refusal to negotiate with officially recognised unions. The text looks at these two dimensions by analysing a conflict in Belgium opposing former Ryanair cabin crew supported by a leading Belgian trade union and Crewlink, an Irish company to which Ryanair has subcontracted stewards’ recruitment, training and engagement. It has taken several years for cabin crew staff to get contracts where they would be working directly for Ryanair.