While traffic grew 7% to 37.6 million, “overcapacity in Europe and the earlier timing of Easter” led to a 4% decline in average fares, the airline said, adding that higher fuel and staff costs offset strong ancillary revenue growth in the quarter. Profit fell to €319 million.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair chief executive, said: “Traffic grew 7% to 37.6m, despite over 2,500 flight cancellations caused by ATC (air traffic control) staff shortages and ATC strikes. Ryanair’s lower fares delivered an industry leading 96% load factor.”
Ryanair said repeated ATC staff shortages – mainly in UK, Germany and Greece – and strikes in France were causing “widespread damage to airline schedules this summer”.
Ryanair cancelled more than 2,500 flights in Q1 (April 1 to June 30), with a loss of higher yielding weekend traffic, and a steep rise in EU261 “right-to-care” costs.
On Friday “in response to Ryanair’s passengers’ concerns about their rights during the current and planned industrial action”, a CAA spokesperson said: “Passengers have the right to seek compensation under EU legislation when flights are delayed by three hours or more, cancelled or when they are denied boarding.
“We note that the recent industrial action is not by Ryanair’s UK employees, but it is the view of the UK CAA, taking account of previous court rulings, that when a flight cancellation is caused by strike action by the airline’s employees, the airline is required to pay compensation to passengers in respect of the cancellation of the flight, if it has not warned passengers of the cancellation at least two weeks prior to the scheduled time of departure.”
In the case of the most recent industrial action involving Ryanair, passengers must first submit their claim to the airline and if they are not satisfied with the response, they can seek redress via the approved Alternative Dispute Resolution service, the CAA added.
A Ryanair spokesperson responded: “Ryanair fully complies with all EU261 legislation, however as these flight cancellations were caused by extraordinary circumstances, no compensation is due.
"Under EU261 legislation, no compensation is payable when the union is acting unreasonably and totally beyond the airline’s control.”
