Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Ryanair said it will appeal Wednesday’s ruling by a provincial court in France that imposed fines and damages totaling €8 million ($10.8 million), the majority of which relate to alleged non-payment of French social insurance and state pension contributions for Ryanair crews flying to and from Marseille from 2007 to 2010. Ryanair counters that the crewmembers worked under Irish contracts and on Irish-registered aircraft and have already paid their taxes, social taxes and state pension contributions in Ireland, in full compliance with Irish and EU regulations.


Ryanair cited “a clear contradiction” between current EU employment regulations under which the Irish workers paid their taxes in Ireland and a 2006 French decree that requires airline crews operating in Ireland to pay social taxes and pension contributions in France. The airline said it believes that only the European courts, which uphold EU regulations on the employment of mobile transport workers, can resolve the so-called contradiction.


“Ryanair will study today’s ruling in detail, and will be lodging an early appeal,” said a Ryanair spokesman. “Since all of our people operating to and from Marseille between 2007 and 2010 have already paid their social taxes and pension contributions in Ireland, in full compliance with Irish and EU employment regulations, we do not believe that either Ryanair or our people can be forced to double pay these contributions a second time in France.”&nbsp;

Ryanair Vows To Fight French Court Ruling and Fines

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