2023-08-11 08:33:58
The courts ratify the million dollar sanctions that Spain imposed on Ryanair for violations committed in the treatment given to passengers on the occasion of the mass cancellation of flights the summer of 2018 in full swing cabin crew strike of the company and which the low-cost airline has tried to annul by appealing in different instances during the last years.
He Supreme Court and the National Court have been ratifying the fines imposed on the ‘low cost’ giant by the State Air Safety Agency (AESA), dependent on the Ministry of Transport, for several breaches of the rights of passengers affected by the 320 flights that the company canceled at Spanish airports in just two days, on July 25 and 26, 2018, due to the stoppages of its flight attendants.
In total, the sanctions referred to by the courts for these hundreds of infringements amount to 5.6 million euros. In some cases, the ratification is already definitive when the airline has exhausted the judicial process when the sentence comes from the Supreme Court and in others the confirmation can still be appealed in a new process when the decision is from the National Court.
Rejected resources
L’National Audience has just rejected an appeal presented by Ryanair, confirming the sanctions for 3.04 million euros approved by AESA, at a rate of 9,500 euros for each of the 320 canceled flights.
The infringements appreciated by the air safety body in the company’s actions are related to the obligation established by European legislation to offer assistance to affected passengers in certain cases (from providing enough food and drink, accommodation in a hotel or transport from the airport to the place of accommodation).
He supreme court, for its part, has rejected the appeal of the European low-cost giant against a previous ruling precisely from the Court. The high court thus ratifies in a recent ruling the sanctions applied by the Air Safety Agency in the amount of 2.56 million euros more (8,000 euros for each of the 320 infringements).
The strike cancels 14 flights at Girona airport and affects more than 2,000 passengers
In this case, the breaches on the part of the airline identified by the Spanish Government are linked to the obligation to refund the amount of the ticket to the passenger or offer comparable transport alternatives that suit the customer affected by the cancellation of the flight.
Passenger rights
Ryanair’s massive flight cancellations due to worker strikes caused a clash with the Spanish Government in both the summer of 2017 and 2018. The State Air Safety Agency launched public communications to give to let travelers know their rights in this type of incident due to the suspension of the flight and ended up opening files in the two summer seasons with the Irish airline.
“The State Aviation Safety Agency informs all passengers who may be affected by the cancellations of the Ryanair crew strike that they are entitled to assistance and reimbursement or alternative transport to their final destination,” he said. the organism, which arrived at send inspectors to major airports to ensure that the airline was complying with the EU regulation on delays and cancellations.
€40,000 fine to Ryanair for making it difficult to refund tickets canceled due to covid-19
THE flight cancellations due to a strike by the company’s own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance therefore the airlines are obliged to pay compensation for the cancellation of the flight if it has not been notified at least 15 days in advance (between 250 and 600 euros depending on the distance of the canceled flight.
The passenger also has the right to assistance which must be paid by the airline, without being able to ask the passenger to pay it himself and then claim it. In the event of cancellation, the passenger can choose between a ticket refund or the company providing alternative transportation to the final destination as soon as possible. If alternative transport is chosen, the company must look for the fastest option and cannot only offer seats on its own flights but also on other airlines. The alternative transport is to the final destination and it is the responsibility of the airline to pay for it, so it cannot ask the traveler to advance the cost of the transport either.
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