Ryanair clear the air over ‘Europe’s No 1 airline’ boast

Ryanair has been cleared to describe itself as “Europe’s No 1 airline” following complaints that widespread cancellations last year made the claim misleading.

The TV and radio adverts in September and October included voiceovers saying “discover why more and more people are choosing Europe’s number one airline” and “discover why we’re Europe’s number one airline”.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 13 complaints from people who claimed the ads were misleading in light of Ryanair cancelling tens of thousands of flights last year.

The ASA said consumers were likely to understand the number one claim to mean Ryanair had carried more passengers than any other European airline over a reasonable time.