Belgian couple receives compensation for cancelled Ryanair flight

Ghent company Happy Flights has won an important lawsuit against low-cost airline Ryanair, according to VTM Nieuws. The company was hired by a Belgian couple to file a lawsuit against the airline after it cancelled a flight back to Brussels, leaving them stranded in Bratislava, Slovakia. Ryanair owes the couple compensation for the cancelled flight, the court ruled, opening the door for similar proceedings.

The couple claimed compensation after their Ryanair flight from Bratislava to Charleroi was cancelled. According to the fine print, the couple was entitled to compensation, but Ryanair refused to pay.

The travellers took their case to Happy Flights. "They found us online and submitted their case, which we immediately got to work on with our lawyer. It ultimately escalated into a lawsuit in Charleroi," says Happy Flights co-founder Bram Van Nieuwerburgh.

The law stipulates that passengers are entitled to €250 compensation for cancelled flights of less than 1,500km within Europe, €400 for European flights of more than 1,500km and as much as €600 for flights outside of the EU.