Ryanair fined €3m by Italy over ash chaos

RYANAIR has been slapped with a €3 million fine by the Italian aviation authorities over the airline’s failure to assist passengers stranded after flights were cancelled due to volcanic ash last month.

The Italian Civil Aviation Authority, known as ENAC, said it issued the penalty on the Irish airline because it had not provided the mandatory assistance such as food, drink, accommodation and telephone calls as required under EU legislation governing cancelled flights.

ENAC said it had found 178 cases where Ryanair passengers had not been given their proper entitlements after flights were cancelled from Rome’s Ciampino airport between April 17 and April 22 last due to ash erupting from the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajokull.

In a statement published on Saturday, ENAC said Ryanair passengers stuck in Rome had to be helped by its own staff, members of Italy’s civil protection agency and employees of the operator of Rome’s airports.

In contrast, ENAC said almost all other airlines had provided adequate assistance to their customers who had their flights cancelled, despite the difficult circumstances.

A Ryanair spokeswoman said at the weekend that the allegations that it had failed to provide mandatory assistance were “complete rubbish”.

“Ryanair fully complies with EU [Regulation] 261 and has been complimented by the EU,” she remarked.

At the outset of the eruption of the volcano last month, the no-frills airline insisted it would only refund passengers the cost of their tickets in the event of cancelled flights.

However, Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary was forced into an embarrassing U-turn by subsequently confirming that the company would reimburse reasonable receipted expenses incurred by its passengers.

It came after the Commission for Aviation Regulation warned Ryanair that any airline which failed to meet its mandatory obligations under EU laws would face large fines.

Nevertheless, Ryanair has continued to insist that the legal obligations faced by European airlines arising out of the volcanic ash plume are “absurd” given it is an event beyond the control of airlines and they could face potentially unlimited expenses.

Although the European Commission has stated that the individual EU member states can offer financial aid to airlines so long as it does not amount to “unfair assistance”, Transport Minister, Noel Dempsey said the Government had no money to compensate Irish airlines.