Ryanair ends appeal against court ruling over compensation for 2018 strikes

Ryanair will pay compensation to passengers affected by a strike four years ago after deciding not to take an appeal it lost to the UK Supreme Court.

The budget airline was badly impacted by pilots and cabin crew taking industrial action over salaries and conditions during the summer of 2018, causing hundreds of flight cancellations and affecting about 200,000 travellers.

This left it potentially facing a massive bill to reimburse customers, but the firm has refused to pay out, claiming the strikes amounted to ‘extraordinary circumstances’ under European Union law.

Strikes: Ryanair was badly impacted by pilots and cabin crew taking industrial action over salaries and conditions during the summer of 2018, causing hundreds of flight cancellations

Such an exception applies when a flight is severely delayed or cancelled, and the air carrier is not responsible for the disruption having taken all reasonable measures to try and prevent it from happening.

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority argued that the strikes did not fall within such rules and began enforcement action against Ryanair four years ago when customers of the airline had their compensation claims rejected.

In April 2021, the High Court agreed with the CAA and ordered the Dublin-based airline to pay up, with a Court of Appeal ruling the following year upholding the original judgement.

Ryanair then successfully sought permission to take the case to the Supreme Court, but the CAA said the group has now backed down and agreed to remunerate the concerned customers.

Paul Smith, the CAA’s consumer director, said: ‘Affected passengers will now be able to make a claim for compensation from Ryanair if they were impacted by strike action taken by Ryanair pilots in 2018, and we would encourage all passengers on flights that were affected to claim the compensation they are entitled to.’

Today’s announcement comes five weeks after Ryanair revealed a record-breaking £1.2billion interim profit as loosening Covid-19 restrictions led to a massive rebound in passenger volumes.

Around 95.1 million people flew with the airline in the six months ending September, more than double the previous year and 43 per cent above pre-pandemic levels.

Earnings also benefited from the business buying most of its fuel for the current financial year in advance at $67 per barrel, allowing it to circumvent surging oil prices caused by the relaxation of travel rules and the escalation of the Ukraine war.

For the upcoming peak Christmas holiday season, the firm noted forward bookings were strong, though it warned the conflict in Ukraine and new Covid variants could cause significant disruption.

Chief executive Michael O’Leary told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘People do seem to have money and they are spending it particularly on travel.

‘This will be the first Christmas in three years where people can reunite with their friends and family and there seems to be a very strong appetite to do so.

‘We have been through three or four recessions in Ryanair in our 30 years and every time there has been a recession people do not stop flying, they trade down to the cheapest provider which is Ryanair.’

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk