MSE says it's "outrageous" that Ryanair has refused to pay compensation, as CAA takes enforcement action

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced that it will take enforcement action against Ryanair for refusing to compensate customers hit by strike-related disruption.

Megan French, consumer expert at MoneySavingExpert.com, said: “While it is good news that the regulator has stepped up to take action against Ryanair, it is outrageous that the airline has refused to pay compensation for delays caused by its own staff striking. This is despite the regulator saying it did not believe this was ‘extraordinary’ enough a circumstance to allow Ryanair to refuse a claim, and the European Court of Justice having ruled that a “wildcat strike” did not count as an extraordinary circumstance.

“It remains to be seen what will happen next, but passengers must not be put off from filing a claim if they believe they are owed compensation. In the first instance they must complain to Ryanair, and if needs be, escalate their case to the Civil Aviation Authority in the interim.”

Note: Up to now, Ryanair has been signed up to the AviationADR, a CAA-approved alternative dispute resolution service, meaning that if a passenger applied to Ryanair for compensation and was rejected, they could escalate their dispute. But Ryanair has now told the CAA it is cutting ties with AviationADR, leaving passengers with existing compensation claims in limbo.