The largest European low -cost airline Ryanair canceled 2000 flights. Because too many pilots took the vacation

For six weeks - from mid -September to the end of October 2017, Ryanair canceled and plans to cancel 2100 flights - 50 daily. This happened due to a mistake with planning the vacations of the pilots of the airline: it turned out that too many of them have gone and would go on vacation at the same time. The company had to observe the work and rest regimen of pilots - for this it was necessary to reduce the number of flights. The Executive Director of Ryanair Michael O'liri took on personal responsibility for the "mess". “We confused with the planned leave of pilots and now we correct our mistakes,” the head of the airline said . - I am sincerely apologized. We arranged this chaos ourselves. ” The company said that the canceled flights will amount to only 2% of all Ryanair flights and that cancellations will help improve the schedule of the remaining 98% of the company's flights.

The Irish Irish Independent suggested that in fact the problem of mass exodus of pilots from Ryanair: 140 pilots who went to work to the competitor, Norwegian Air, left the company. Ryanair did not comment on this information.

The airline tried to offer pilots to change the vacation time, but they refused. After that, the crew commanders offered a one -time payment of up to 12 thousand euros for an additional 10 days of work in October. The subject concerned pilots from the largest hub of the company - London Stansted, airports in Dublin, Frankfurt and Berlin. A group of pilots rejected this proposal and demanded instead new contracts and the best working conditions. The Ryanair press service denies the pilots from additional payments. Ryanair said that in the near future she would additionally hire 125 pilots and will smooth out the consequences a little.

The European Commission saw a violation of consumer rights in the actions of the Irish airline. In 2004, the European Union approved the regulations with the unified rules for the provision of compensation to passengers in case of cancellation or a long delay in the flight. According to the EU standards, compensation can be up to 600 euros per person. Whereas according to Ryanair, the whole emergency will cost the company 20 million euros. This means that on average, each injured passenger will be paid only for 63 euros.

Due to the abolition of flights, 315 thousand people were injured; Many say that no one informed them in time. The airline claims that they all received proposals for alternative routes and compensation by e -mail. Passengers say this is not so. Many learned about the abolition of their flights just the day before departure or even in a few hours - and as a result, finding alternative options was already very difficult or impossible. They complain that the airline does not accept complaints via the Internet or by phone. If the flight is canceled, the passenger can change the flight for free on the same route (if there are places left) or completely return the money for the ticket. To change the route, you will have to chat with the company's online consultant, and it is not a fact that such an exchange will be free.

Passengers characterize the massive cancellation of flights as “chaos”. 69-year-old Stella Scott from Bristol received a message about the abolition of her flight from Malaga 6 hours before departure. She was offered another flight to Bristol, but only after 9 days. The Englishman Mark Adkins with his wife, an 11-month-old child and a 77-year-old disabled father himself had to get from Valencia to Barcelona to fly home. Adkinson said: "Ryanair ruined the first rest of my son and, probably, the last of my father." 19-year-old Linda Lancaster spent 25 pounds, trying to get to the paid line of support for Ryanair customers to get information about her flight from London to Paris. The ticket cost about the same.

Marina Solntseva