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06 December 2018 09:05
There were several disruptions to Ryanair services this summer
Ryanair could be slapped with enforcement action from the airline regulator after it refused compensation for passengers hit by flight disruption caused by staff taking strike action.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the low-cost carrier has rejected compensation claims and has now ended its agreement with AviationADR - a CAA-approved body used for resolving passenger complaints.
The CAA does not believe the strikes count as "extraordinary circumstances", as Ryanair has claimed, meaning compensation should be paid to passengers.
Widespread strikes
Ryanair's flights were hit by widespread strikes over the summer by pilot and cabin crews, while it also suffered amid the industry-wide air traffic control industrial action that saw thousands of flights cancelled across Europe.
The CAA said passengers with an existing claim will now have to wait until the outcome of its enforcement action against the airline.
The watchdog has made repeated calls for Ryanair to compensate passengers affected by staff strikes.
While airlines can refuse to pay out for "extraordinary circumstances", such as bad weather or air traffic controller strikes, they must pay compensation for disruption caused by strikes held by their own employees.
Severe disruption
Ryanair warned over profits in October after it was stung by strike action, combined with higher oil prices.
It has seen the strike action knock passenger confidence in the company, revealing in October that passengers made fewer forward bookings into the third quarter, including for the October school half-term and Christmas.
Since the summer of severe disruption, Ryanair has been securing a series of agreements with unions across Europe over wages and benefits.
The latest was announced on Tuesday, with German pilots' union VC.
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