Complaints about Irish airlines from air passengers across the EU showed a three-fold increase last year, according to a report to be published today.
For the second year in a row, Irish airlines were the most complained about in Europe, and accounted for a quarter of all passenger complaints in the EU, according to the annual report on consumer complaints reported to European Consumer Centre (ECC) Network.
Irish air passengers made more complaints than those from any other EU state, the report says, up from seventh place in the previous year.
With the overall number of complaints made by air passengers doubling over the previous year, pressure is growing for tighter regulation of airlines' responsibilities to consumers.
The EU Commission, which has threatened to pursue airlines that do not meet their legal responsibilities, is due to issue a response to the ECC Network report today.
Ryanair accounts for almost 70 per cent of complaints handled by the ECC's Dublin office, and Aer Lingus accounts for almost 30 per cent, even though both airlines are about the same size in the Irish market.
The three main areas of complaint for air passengers are lost luggage, cancelled flights and delays. Customers with complaints are required to take up the matter with the airline in the first place; if it remains unresolved, the regulation in the country from which they flew is the responsible authority.
In practice, many passengers seek assistance from the ECC with their cross-border complaints.
Almost one-third of complaints handled by the ECC network remain unresolved mainly because the airlines claim "extraordinary circumstances" means they don't have to pay compensation or because they have not responded.
The Commission for Aviation Regulation (Car), which is responsible for enforcing passenger rights in Ireland, has placed advertisements in today's newspapers reminding airlines of their duties to passengers.
Tomorrow, Car plans to publish for the first time detailed information about the complaints it has received about airlines, including the number of complaints related to the airline's size.
Last month, aviation regulator Cathal Giomard issued 53 "final warnings" to carriers flying out of Irish airports, which Car says are failing to inform passengers of their rights at check-in desks.
The regulator is threatening to take action against a number of airlines which are failing to comply with their legal obligation to provide refreshments for passengers whose flights are delayed. By law airlines must provide passengers with food and drink where short-haul flights are delayed by more than two hours and with accommodation where a passenger has to stay overnight.
Ryanair accounted for 114 out of 193 complaints made to the regulator in the first half of this year.
Ryanair says it is fully compliant with EU regulations. Its chief executive, Michael O'Leary, recently called on the Minister for Transport to sack Mr Guiomard.