RYANAIR CHIEF executive Michael O’Leary wrote to former minister for transport Pat Carey on March 3th to encourage the government to “intervene” in proceedings before the European Court of Justice relating to passenger compensation from flight cancellations relating to the Icelandic volcanic ash crisis.
This has emerged from a detailed briefing document prepared last month by civil servants for the new Minister, Leo Varadkar.
It stated that Mr O’Leary encouraged the government to “intervene in the proceedings to uphold that airlines should not be obliged to cover passengers’ expenses in cases such as the cancellations caused by volcanic ash, which were due to circumstances outside of the airline’s control”.
The department was “considering” Ryanair’s request and a submission would be made to the Minister “shortly”.
Ryanair cancelled 9,400 flights in April and May last year due to the volcanic ash crisis and paid €32 million in passengers expenses under EU261 rules.
The airline this week said it would charge a €2 levy on each flight to cover the cost of future compensation claims.
In a statement released to The Irish Timeslast night, Mr Varadkar indicated his support for amending the EU regulation.
“I am concerned about the manner in which this European regulation was originally formulated, with very onerous and costly obligations being imposed on airlines, even in circumstances which are completely outside of their control,” the Minister said.
Mr Varadkar said he had raised the issue with Commissioner Siim Kallas at a meeting of transport ministers in Brussels this week.
“The commission has been promising a review of the regulation since last year’s volcanic ash crisis and I would like to see this review completed in the immediate future.”
The briefing document also notes that Ryanair has taken a complaint to the European Commission about the airport charging regime in Dublin.
The Dublin Airport Authority sent a 136-page “rebuttal” to the commission on February 18th, while the department sent a “draft reply” to Brussels on March 8th.