Canceled flights put Ryanair in lurch

DUBLIN — Ryanair Holdings PLC on Monday sought to contain the damage from plans to scrap hundreds of flights through the end of October, vowing to publish the full list of affected connections and provide clarity for unsettled customers.

With mass cancellations set to leave about 400,000 passengers with packed bags but no seats, Europe’s biggest discount airline is likely to take a $30 million profit hit from refunds and compensation, the Dublin-based company said Monday, three days after announcing cutbacks that started Saturday and stemmed from vacation related crew shortages.

To stave off further fallout, Ryanair will offer a fare sale, a bonus to pilots who are willing to waive vacation days, and spend about $35.8 million next year to hire additional crew and improve contracts.

“We should have seen it coming. This will have a reputational impact,” Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary said during a conference call.

While the scrapped flights account for only about 2 percent of usual 2,500 daily services, the cause was avoidable and stems from the company’s aggressive management style. As it ramped up capacity, Ryanair overscheduled its crews, which has led to a vacation backlog as it scrambles to meet holiday requirements by Irish authorities. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and the Spanish Public Works Ministry said Monday that they want to ensure the airline respects regulations on compensating passengers for abandoned flights.