Ryanair fired its chief pilot after an investigation found he harassed junior female pilots and altered flight schedules to fly alongside them reports say

A Ryanair plane.

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• Ryanair fired its chief pilot after an investigation found he'd harassed junior female pilots. 
• That included asking for pictures of their bodies and changing flight rosters to sit with the women.
• The chief pilot called the investigation a "witch hunt," The Times reported.

Ryanair fired its chief pilot after an investigation found "a pattern of repeated inappropriate and unacceptable behavior towards a number of female junior pilots," multiple news organizations reported. 

The two-week inquiry found that Aidan Murray, 58, had harassed and groomed nine junior pilots ages 21 to 32, according to The Times of London.

Per The Times, Murray was said to have begun by sending inappropriate texts offering them career support before commenting on their bodies, asking about their sexual activity, and — in at least two cases — asking for pictures.

Ryanair declined to comment when contacted by Insider. Murray didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

As the Irish airline's chief pilot, Murray was responsible for flight crew training and safety, flight coordination, and managing personnel. Because of his position, he was able to change flight rosters — unnamed sources told The Telegraph that did so to fly alongside the women. 

The Times reported that the investigation began following an anonymous complaint late last month in which Murray was accused of grooming four junior female pilots.

The Times reported that he didn't cooperate with investigators, calling it a "witch hunt," and that when shown proof he'd sent the text messages he said he'd been drunk at the time.

Ryanair's chief people officer was said to have told the company's staff about the firing in a Wednesday email.

"This decision follows an investigation over recent days which identified a pattern of repeated inappropriate and unacceptable behavior towards a number of female junior pilots, which was in breach of our anti-harassment policy," it said, per The Times. "We are determined to ensure that all our people can come to work in a safe and secure environment."

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