CAA acts against Ryanair

Enforcement action was launched by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) last week against Ryanair in a dispute over the airline’s interpretation of the European Commission regulation 261/2004 on compensation for disruption to flights.

The move followed Ryanair’s decision that financial compensation was not payable for delays resulting from industrial action by the airline’s staff this summer. The CAA said claims made directly to Ryanair by passengers had been rejected.

Passengers could then escalate their complaints to AviationADR, a body approved by the CAA, to provide alternative dispute resolution but Ryanair had now told the authority it had terminated its agreement with the company.

The CAA said at the time of the industrial action that in its view the strikes were not “extraordinary circumstances” and were therefore not exempt, meaning consumers should be compensated in accordance with the regulation.

Ryanair said in a statement: “Courts in Germany, Spain and Italy have already ruled that strikes are an ‘extraordinary circumstance’ and EU261 compensation does not apply. We expect the UK CAA and courts will follow this precedent.”

The CAA noted as a result of Ryanair’s action, passengers with existing claims will now have to await the outcome of the enforcement action.

www.caa.co.uk

www.ryanair.com

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