Ryanair is facing legal action after it refused to compensate thousands of passengers caught up in a wave of strikes this summer.
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority is taking the airline to court over its refusal to pay out to customers affected by the flight disruption.
Ryanair was forced to cancel hundreds of flights between July and October when pilots and crew walked out over pay and working conditions.
However, the airline argued that it was not obliged to pay compensation because the strikes represented “extraordinary circumstances”.
Some passengers were left hundreds of pounds out of pocket after having to organise alternative travel plans or accommodation. The carrier has also pulled out of the dispute resolution scheme AviationADR, which was set up to rule on unresolved complaints by passengers.
Today, the CAA said it had started enforcement action against the airline following its decision not to honour claims made under European Commission regulation.
Rory Boland, travel editor at consumer magazine Which?, said: “Customers would have been outraged Ryanair attempted to shirk its responsibilities by refusing to pay out compensation for cancelling services during the summer — which left hard-working families stranded with holiday plans stalled.
“It is right the CAA is now taking legal action against Ryanair on the basis that such strikes were not ‘extraordinary circumstances’ and should not be exempt, to ensure the airline must finally do the right thing by its customers and pay the compensation owed.”
Ryanair said in a statement: “Courts in Germany, Spain and Italy have already ruled strikes are an ‘exceptional circumstance’ and EU261 compensation does not apply. We expect the CAA and courts will follow this precedent.”
Brian Strutton, general secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association said: “The strikes in the past year have been a last resort for pilots in Ryanair who tell us they want to be treated with respect.”
