EU should strengthen air passenger rights

A plenary debate will take place later today in the European Parliament on the cancellations of flights by Ryanair and the enforcement of the regulation on air passenger rights.

Greens/EFA MEP and Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, Karima Delli, comments ahead of the debate:

“The cancellation of thousands of flights by Ryanair really is a new low for the low-cost airline. Around 40,000 passengers are going to lose out because of the company’s apparent inability to plan. Ryan Air is treating its passengers with little respect.

“Faced with these actions, I call on the EU Commission to remind Ryanair of its responsibility to play by the rules of European air passenger rights law. The issue of sanctions should also be considered.

“First of all, we must ensure that all individuals whose flights have been cancelled are taken care of and then strengthen the legislation to prevent such abuses in future.

“This whole episode highlights the drawbacks of the low-cost airlines, which not only damage the planet but also offer scant benefit to their employees or to consumers. It is high time the EU acknowledged this and stopped encouraging the low-cost airline model, which results in social dumping, and put an end to subsidies for it.”