Ryanair News

Low-cost airline Ryanair has said it will cut its flights from Stansted Airport by 9% over the next year.

Ryanair had planned to increase the number of flights to and from the Essex airport by 5% from April, but will now cut 170 flights across 43 routes a week because of increased fees at Stansted.

The announcement came after Stansted was sold by Ferrovial/BAA to Manchester Airports Group for £1.5 billion.

Ryanair blamed its decision on a 6% increase in charges at the airport, which it says should be investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority

Ryanair spokesman Robin Kiely said:

"It's bad enough that Ferrovial/BAA has doubled prices over the past six years and presided over record traffic falls at Stansted, but it appears that the CAA now rewards this commercial failure by allowing Ferrovial/BAA to again raise fees in 2013 to compensate for its traffic declines in 2012."

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Ryanair has admitted defeat in its takeover bid for Aer Lingus but vowed to fight the decision in the courts.

The European Commission told the airline that the 694 million euro (£596.7 million) buyout plan would be rejected.

The low-cost carrier claimed European chiefs were holding it to much higher standards than any other EU airline.

Ryanair spokesman Robin Kiely said: "It appears clear from this morning's meeting that no matter what remedies Ryanair offered, we were not going to get a fair hearing and were going to be prohibited regardless of competition rules."

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• Aer Lingus

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has predicted that travellers will need to pay more in fares after today's ruling on passenger compensation by the European Court.

ITV News Consumer Editor Chris Choi reports.

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Gillian Edwards, of travel trade association Abta, has said there is no reason today’s European Court of Justice ash cloud ruling should lead to a hike in air fares - but admitted that the EU regulations needed revisiting.

Today’s ruling does not in fact change the law, it just reinforces it. For the past nine years airlines have had to cover the costs of delays and cancellations under EU law.

Ryanair has already introduced a levy in 2011 to compensate for this so there is no reason that today’s ruling should result in a further increase in its fares.

Ryanair does raise a valid point, through this court case, that the EU regulations are perhaps now due for a review so that there is a sensible balance between looking after the passenger and airlines’ responsibilities.

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The Which? consumer group said there is no reason airlines should increase fares in the light of the European Court of Justice ash cloud ruling.

Today's ruling by the European Court of Justice simply confirms the existing situation relating to the 2010 ash cloud travel disruption - that airlines should reimburse passengers for reasonable costs, including accommodation food and transport.

Airlines already account for compensation in their ticket costs, so there should be no reason for any airline to increase their prices as a result.

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The European Court of Justice has ruled that Ryanair should have compensated passengers whose flights were cancelled because of volcanic ash in 2010.

Twitter users have been reacting to the ruling today:

Stop with the whinging & threats of higher air fares Michael O'Leary and pay-up #AshCloud

From @ColinDKavanagh on Twitter: ( 3:56 pm, Thu 31 Jan 2013)

Michael O'Leary quick enough to take your money... then threatens to hike up fares when he doesn't get his own way..

From @Lyndsdi on Twitter: ( 2:00 pm, Thu 31 Jan 2013)

Hard to say, but for probably the first time I actually agree with Michael O'Leary about the #ashcloud court case #compensationculture

From @ian_deslow on Twitter: ( 1:42 pm, Thu 31 Jan 2013)

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Gillian Edwards, of travel trade association Abta, has said that today’s ruling by the EU’s top court means Ryanair cannot “wriggle out” of its obligations to customers.

She said:

Today's ruling doesn't change passengers' rights but it does show that Ryanair has the same obligations to its customers as any other airline and can't wriggle out of its responsibilities.

Bob Atkinson, of travelsupermarket.com, has urged passengers to contact airlines as soon as they are delayed to avoid requiring court action.

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In an interview for ITV News, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary predicts fares "inevitably" will rise and some airlines will go bust as a result of today's ruling on passenger compensation by the European Court.

He added that much of what has been claimed amounts to "crazy compensation".

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Ryanair boss Mike O'Leary said today's decision by the European Court was "crazy" and would result in increased airline prices for passengers across Europe. He told Sky News:

Why do we have to take responsibility for delays caused by others? Airlines will be sued by passengers for things that are beyond our control. This is another crazy decision from the EU court. We can't be responsible for providing compensation for the world and his mothers, for situations out of our control.

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