Ryanair cannot solve its crisis at the expense of passengers and workers, says Ismail Ertug
Date
Sections
Brussels, 3 October 2017
More than 700,000 passengers have been affected by the cancellation of 20,000 flights by Irish airline Ryanair. Most of the passengers are not entitled to compensation under the existing Passenger Rights Regulation. This must only be paid if a flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure.
This evening the European Parliament will question the European Commission in a plenary debate on the issue. The S&D Group wants to make sure that the company complies with EU rules and also ask whether the existing Passenger Rights Regulation is sufficient or should be improved.
Ismail Ertug MEP, S&D spokesperson on transport, said:
"The Ryanair business model raises a number of questions. Does the airline comply with the rules on the rights of passengers? Is it sufficient for them to clarify the rights of their customers? Reports from travellers rather suggest otherwise. We are also concerned about their workers, because the cancellations also mean a massive loss of income for their staff, who are only paid when the aircraft takes off.
"The airline apparently wants to find a way out of this self-inflicted crisis at the expense of passengers and their employees. The Commission must explain what it is doing to prevent such a flagrant violation of existing passenger rights and how it intends to combat the dubious methods and business models of low-cost airlines to ensure safety and good working conditions in European air transport."
MEPs INVOLVED
+ 32 2 284 55 47
+ 33 3 88 17 55 47
S&D PRESS CONTACT
victoria.martindelatorre@ep.europa.eu
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