Varadkar accuses Ryanair of ‘lashing on the charges’

TRANSPORT Minister Leo Varadkar has accused Ryanair of “lashing on the charges” after adding a €2 levy to every flight to combat EU compensation rules.

However, the minister said he has some sympathy for airlines and in a signal that would see passenger compensation being rolled back, he sees the rules agreed by the EU three years ago as too onerous.

The EU is currently reviewing the once groundbreaking compensation rules for passengers that force airlines to provide meals when flights are delayed and overnight hotel stays and compensation for cancelled flights or long delays.

Mr Varadkar, attending his first EU Transport Council meeting in Brussels, said he did not condone the €2 increase.

“Ryanair has made a lot of money and has a levy for everything. It is typical of Ryanair to lash on the charges and blame someone else for this,” he said.

He added that they would make a lot of money from the levy and said he suspected that the €100 million loss Ryanair claims to have suffered included a wide range of delays and not just those from the volcanic ash cloud last year.

Mr Varadkar said he would prefer to see the onus for compensation move to travel insurers, and passengers would then have a choice of whether to insure themselves or not.