RYANAIR CONTINUES to account for the majority of complaints made by passengers to the aviation regulator, although the budget airline is one of a number of airlines to have shown a significant improvement in complying with its warnings and recommendations in recent months.
Of the 166 complaints handled by the Commission for Aviation Regulation so far this year, Ryanair accounted for 54, while Aer Lingus was responsible for a further 30. The balance of 82 complaints was spread across 24 other airlines.
Some 58 per cent of complaints to the regulator involved flight cancellations, while a further quarter were as a result of long delays. The regulator said it had resolved 121, or 73 per cent, of complaints successfully.
The commission said there had been a "steady improvement" in the response of airlines to passenger complaints in recent months. It said that most airlines have now complied with a final warning it issued in November 2007 regarding the need to notify passengers of their rights and compensation due in the event of delays.
Ryanair remains the most reluctant airline to comply, "but much improvement is evident there too", the commission said. It pointed out that the airline's website now informs passengers in more detail of their rights and reminds them that, in certain circumstances, refreshments are free of charge.
The commission said that the threat of prosecutions had receded as airlines responded positively to its enforcement initiatives.
"We're happy to report steady improvement in compliance by most airlines," the commission's head of consumer protection, Niall O'Connor, said. "While issues remain to be resolved with some airlines, overall we welcome a clear movement in the right direction."
Mr O'Connor said challenges remained in the assessment of particular cases, notably in relation to claims by airlines seeking an exemption from paying compensation on the grounds of "extraordinary circumstances".
According to legislation, passengers can claim compensation of up to €600 for cancelled flights, and free hotel accommodation and expenses when flights are delayed overnight. Such claims are not entertained by airlines if the problems can be attributed to circumstances outside their control, such as bad weather or strikes.
Many airlines routinely blame flight cancellations on bad weather or technical problems, but commission officials use weather reports and flight logs to check these claims and in only 27 of the 121 complaints resolved so far this year were extraordinary circumstances proven.
The commission said that one of the frequent excuses for delays put forward by airlines was if a departure out of one airport was delayed because the incoming aircraft had been delayed earlier in the day because of bad weather or technical problems on a completely different route.
"Airlines might cite this situation as a legitimate 'extraordinary circumstance', which should excuse them from their responsibilities," said Mr O'Connor. "While we recognise the difficulty in scheduling for airlines, the commission has adopted a position that 'extraordinary circumstances' may only be applied to occurrences in the sector in which the delayed or cancelled flight was due to depart."
