The last straw! Calls to boycott airline grow

pAssENgERs have threatened to boycott Ryanair after the latest wave of cancellations.

Customers bombarded the firm with complaints following Wednesday’s decision to cancel flights for another 400,000 passengers over the winter.

A day after Ryanair was accused of ‘cancelling Christmas’ by wrecking more people’s travel plans, passengers using the hashtag #boycottRyanair vowed on Twitter never to fly with the airline again.

peter Bond wrote ‘#Ryanair what a complete and utter shambles of a company. Not fit for purpose. I’ll never use them.’

Amid more tales of misery from those whose travel plans have been wrecked, Mps also expressed frustration at the inability of the UK’s aviation watchdog to take tougher action – such as banning Ryanair from flying into UK airports.

The Civil Aviation Authority has launched enforcement action against the company. CAA boss Andrew Haines yesterday told Radio 4’s Today programme that he is ‘furious’ at the airline, and accused it of breaking the law.

Last night Mps urged ministers to give tougher powers to the CAA. Huw Merriman, a Tory member of the Commons transport committee, said: ‘This episode highlights the need for more powers to bring airlines to account. A train company cannot cancel chunks of its timetable without agreement from the Department for Transport. If the CAA had the same powers then it could force Ryanair to buy in pilots to deliver these flights. It would cost Ryanair more but the passengers would get their service. If we are in the realms of cancelled flights, we need to bring in automatic compensation.’

Ryanair’s decision to cancel yet more flights prompted a fresh wave of complaints from passengers.

Jez Thompson, from Nottingham, was due to fly with five others to Italy to watch England’s rugby union team play in the six Nations Championship in February. He said: ‘Eighteen months’ planning blown out the water, six very disappointed rugby fans.’ Karen McDerment, from patna in East Ayrshire, wrote on Ryanair’s Facebook page that the situation was a ‘complete joke’.

she said: ‘Are Ryanair going to pay the £535 that I am going to lose for my accommodation over new year? Doubt it ... can’t even contact them on any of the links provided on their very matter of fact email. Ryanair couldn’t care ... would rather pay a bit more in future then give you another penny.’

Danny Band tweeted: ‘Thanks @Ryanair no longer have flights home 4 Christmas. Just weeks after your staff refused to help me at stansted with two young children.’

Erin Davies wrote: ‘Thanks for messing up my Christmas plans’.