Ryanair has announced that it will be taking legal action against the air traffic control body, Nats, over the flight chaos that occurred last summer. The disruption caused more than 700,000 passengers to suffer cancellations and delays, resulting in Ryanair being forced to pay out approximately £15m in compensation.
The low-cost carrier’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, stated that the chaos was caused by a technical glitch at Nats during the processing of a flight plan. An investigation conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) revealed that the situation was further exacerbated by a lack of planning and engineers working from home.
According to the CAA, around 300,000 passengers experienced cancellations, while approximately 95,000 were subjected to delays of over three hours. In addition, at least 300,000 passengers suffered from shorter delays. The overall impact on the airline industry resulted in losses of £100m in refunds, rebookings, hotel rooms, and refreshments.
In an interview with Sky’s Business Live with Ian King, Mr. O’Leary expressed his frustration at the situation, stating that it was unfair for Ryanair and other airlines to have to bear the costs when they were not at fault. He also called for the resignation or dismissal of Nats’ chief executive, Martin Rolfe, citing his inability to effectively manage the air traffic control service.
Mr. O’Leary highlighted the stark difference between Ryanair’s operations in the UK and Italy, where the airline experienced 7,000 delays due to Nats’ staffing shortages or system failures in the UK, compared to only 170 delays in Italy. He further emphasized that Ryanair pays Nats over £100m per year in air traffic control fees, and as a result, the airline expects a better service.
The airline industry is still reeling from the chaos that occurred during the August Bank Holiday weekend last year, with Mr. O’Leary describing it as a “complete shambles.” In related news, Ryanair has released its latest forecast, predicting a 22% growth in British traffic by 2030, with a projected increase from 53 million passengers per year to 65 million.
Mr. O’Leary also warned of a potential 10% increase in passenger fares this summer and announced plans to resume flights to Tel Aviv, Israel in June, if the security situation permits. In response to the legal proceedings initiated by Ryanair, a spokeswoman for Nats confirmed that the company’s legal team is reviewing the claim and will respond accordingly.
