We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
THE UK’S CIVIL Aviation Authority has said that it has begun legal action against Ryanair over the airline’s failure to compensate thousands of UK-based customers.
The CAA said that it was taking enforcement action against the budget airline after Ryanair’s decision not to compensate the customers who had flights cancelled or delayed as a result of strikes by the airline staff over the summer.
The CAA asserts that the customers have a legal right to compensation, but Ryanair asserts that compensation is not payable under European Commission Regulation 2612004.
“Ryanair passengers have made claims for compensation directly to the airline, but these have been rejected,” the authority said in a statement.
“Passengers have then been able to escalate their complaints to AviationADR, a body approved by the Civil Aviation Authority, to provide alternative dispute resolution for passenger complaints.
Ryanair has now informed the Civil Aviation Authority that it has terminated its agreement with AviationADR. As the Civil Aviation Authority said at the time of the industrial action, in its view, the strikes were not “extraordinary circumstances” and were not exempt, meaning consumers should be compensated in accordance with Regulation EC261/2004.
The CAA closed its statement by saying that passengers with an existing claim against the airline will have to wait for the outcome of the enforcement action.
In a statement from Ryanair carried by the BBC, a spokesperson said:
Courts in Germany, Spain and Italy have already ruled that strikes are an ‘exceptional circumstance’ and EU261 compensation does not apply. We expect the UK CAA and courts will follow this precedent.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
They should just do what the French did and get the lads from Can’t Pay We’ll Take It Away to seize one on the runway till they pay up…
Ryanair will win this one.
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: hope not…
I’m affected by this – my flight was delayed by 4 hours and they fobbed off my claim saying it was because of an issue with air control but there was other flights taking off no problem (!) we got £5 voucher which didn’t work none of the vendors could accept it!
It’s a scam!
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: No Ryanair will pay & it will be quick & out of court, too much bad PR at the moment
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: my flight was delayed by 27 hours ryanair coughed up the 400 euros per passenger quickly enough. Bought been chasing for hotel and food which they now say they’ll pay 4 months later
In another few months EU rules will not apply anyway – which will be interesting. In the mean time other courts in the EU have ruled that strikes are exceptional circumstances – so why should the EU rule apply differently in the UK?
This is why I recommend buying holiday insurance and not to depend upon the airline.
Time was when anyone heading away had holiday insurance, it was usually embedded in a package, but these days some people have forgotten about the various elements of travel risk and insurance. Sure a 10 euro ticket and 40 euro insurance might not seem to make sense…. but then you run some risks with travel plans being disrupted.
Irrelevant. They are the biggest carrier in Europe and with that comes massive power . He made the smart move to soak up all 737 airplanes in U.S. after 9/11 and that massive order holds true today
Monopoly sucks but it’s business .
Of greater interest to Irish residents is the position being taken by the Irish aviation regulator. We all remember her absolute uselessness when Ryanair cancelled thousands of flights because it had to roster leave for its pilots. She came before an Oireachtas committee and smugly declared that she preferred to “work with” the airline when these sorts of problem arose. In the event, Irish travellers were able to rely on the far tougher (and legally accurate) stance of the UK regulator in getting compensated. (By the way, I presume this woman has resigned or has been sacked over her incompetence. I hardly expect she was able to keep her job after that debacle)
have your say