Aviation watchdog recovers €1.1m for passengers as Aer Lingus and Ryanair top complaints list

Of the total 1,213 upheld complaints, 31% related to Aer Lingus with 28% filed against Ryanair 

Last year saw the IAA secure compensation of €795,000 for airline passengers, along with an additional €334,471 in refunds.

Ireland's aviation regulator awarded €1.12m in compensation and refunds to passengers last year, upholding a total of 1,213 complaints in 2025. 

Releasing its annual report, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) recorded a turnover of €46m in the 12 months ending in December, up from €37m in the previous year. Operating profit grew to €4m last year, up from a loss of €1m in 2024.

Last year also saw the IAA secure compensation of €795,000 for airline passengers, along with an additional €334,471 in refunds.

The 1,213 complaints came from 52 airlines in total, with Aer Lingus comprising 31% of complaints and Ryanair accounting for 28%. Emerald Airlines was the subject of 7% of total complaints, with Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways both making up 3%. The remaining 28% of complaints related to 47 other airlines. 

Some 41% of the total upheld complaints related to flight cancellations, while 48% related to long delays. The total number of complaints handled in 2025 was down by 5% compared to the previous year. 

Meanwhile, some 1,221 passenger complaints against airlines were not upheld, with the IAA stating the main reason was that the air carrier was able to prove that a disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances and therefore would be exempt from paying compensation.

The IAA also took enforcement action against three airlines last year, in addition to issuing a total of 21 directions. 10 of those directions were issued to the Romanian airline Dan Air, nine were issued to Moldovan airline Floyne and two were given to Latvian-based Smartlynx Airlines. 

By the end of last year, the directions against Dan Air and Floyne had not been complied with and were successfully prosecuted in early 2026, the IAA said.

It noted that no further action could be taken against Smartlynx due to the company ceasing operations in November 2025. 

A further 48 complaints were issued by passengers with reduced mobility, with issues relating to wheelchair damage, delays in receiving assistance and refusals to carry mobility equipment. 

The IAA said it experienced a single fatal general aviation incident in Ireland, which is currently being investigated by the Air Accident Investigation Unit. The IAA said it will action any recommendations given by the unit following their assessment.

It also noted a lack of talent and qualified personnel as the key challenge for the industry, with the cost of pilot training also hampering the supply of new pilots.

Looking forward, the IAA said the passenger cap on Dublin Airport was the biggest potential threat to fully utilising the airport's existing infrastructure, given that flights in Europe were forecasted to grow by over 3% across in Europe in 2026.