Your trusted source

The Civil Aviation Authority has said it is taking legal action against Ryanair over its refusal to compensate thousands of UK-based customers, BBC informs.

Their flights were cancelled or delayed over the summer because of strikes by Ryanair pilots and cabin crew.

According to the CAA, under EU legislation, passengers are allowed to make an EU261 claim when flights are delayed by three hours or more, cancelled or when they are denied boarding. However, Ryanair argues the strike action amounts to "extraordinary circumstances" and that therefore, it does not have to pay.

More Ryanair passengers have put in compensation claims for cancellations or delays to arbitration this year than any other airline.

Figures from the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service showed the airline accounted for the largest proportion - 30% - of all appeals.

In the first nine months of 2018, it received 22,159 complaints, but only processed 1,347 of 6,653 Ryanair cases.

"Courts in Germany, Spain and Italy have already ruled that strikes are an 'exceptional circumstance' and EU261 compensation does not apply. We expect the UK CAA and courts will follow this precedent," a Ryanair spokesperson said.