Ryanair ordered to pay damages for late arrivals

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair has been ordered to pay damages of between €250 and €400 to six Belgian passengers for delays of flights from holiday destinations to Charleroi Airport.

The Ghent-based company Happy Flights, which represents passengers in cases of cancellations or delays, filed the complaint. Two passengers who suffered a delay of more than three hours on their return flight from Chania in Greece each received €400 in damages. Four others, held up on a flight from Sardinia, received €250 each.

Ryanair fought the case, pointing out that the terms and conditions of any of its ticket sales state that all disputes must be judged under Irish law. The Charleroi commercial court rejected that argument, saying that it only serves to discourage passengers from taking legal action.

Ryanair intends to appeal the ruling. “We ask customers with claims regarding the disruption of their flights to address themselves directly to Ryanair before bringing in bounty hunters,” the airline said in a statement, referring to representatives like Happy Flights.

The approach, Ryanair said, is intended to ensure customers get 100% of any compensation required, without paying firms like Happy Flights part of it. Those payments, the airline claimed, can be up to 50% of compensation.

Photo: Adrian Pingstone/Wikimedia