Strikes may cost Ryanair

GERMAN passenger rights company Flightright is taking Ryanair to court over whether it should pay financial compensation to passengers affected by strikes at Europe’s largest low-cost carrier. Ryanair had to cancel around one in six flights on Friday due to a walkout by pilots in five European countries, disrupting an estimated 55 000 travellers. The worst affected country was Germany, where 250 flights were cancelled, affecting around 42 000 passengers. EU rules state that passengers can claim monetary compensation of up to 400 (R6 440) for flights within the region for cancelled or delayed flights, unless the reason is extraordinary circumstances, such as bad weather. Strikes have generally fallen under extraordinary circumstances in the past. – Reuters SA/UK