Ryanair has agreed to implement measures to ensure all passengers affected by recent flight cancellations are “fully aware” of their “rights and entitlements”.
This will include passengers receiving full refunds or being booked onto alternative Ryanair flights or “other comparable transport options”, with reimbursement of “reasonable out-of-pocket expenses”.
The airline made the statement after meeting with Ireland’s Commission for Aviation Regulation.
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority has accused the Dublin-based carrier of “not complying with the law” over its handling of the fiasco.
Ryanair has pledged to send a “clarification email” to customers outlining their rights and explaining how and when they will booked onto other flights.
CAA guidelines state that if an airline cancels a flight it must offer passengers an alternative flight under European Union law.
Customers “may have the right” to be booked onto flights by an alternative airline if it would mean reaching their destination “significantly sooner”.
Ryanair said that if it is not able to offer a flight on the same or next day from the original or “suitable alternative airport”, then it will book passengers onto flights by either easyJet, Jet2, Vueling, CityJet, Aer Lingus, Norwegian or Eurowings airlines.
If those options are not available then it will offer “comparable alternative transport” which may be a flight, train, bus or car hire, with costs “assessed on a case-by-case basis”.
Ryanair said its statement met the requirement of the CAA to clarify the airline’s obligations under EU261 rules.
It called upon the regulator to “now require UK airlines to comply”, claiming the legislation “did not apply” to British Airways when 75,000 passengers were stranded following an IT meltdown in May.
Kenny Jacobs, Ryanair’s chief marketing officer, said: “We apologise again sincerely for the disruption and inconvenience our rostering failure has caused some of our customers.
“We have taken on extra customer service staff and are moving now to process and expedite all EU261 claims from affected customers.
“We are committed to processing all such claims within 21 days of receipt and hope to have all such claims settled before the end of October.”