Ryanair yesterday lost its appeal against an award of €3,537 (£2,785) compensation to seven passengers stranded in Paris after bad weather led to the cancellation of their flight.
Upholding an award made to the passengers in the Small Claims Court and appealed by Ryanair to Dublin Circuit Civil Court, Judge Liam Devally said flying conditions were extremely bad over western Europe on the morning in question, Monday November 3rd, 2000, but intending passengers at Beauvais airport were not informed of this until their flight was due to take off.
He said that given the prevailing weather conditions there was "a strong possibility" and some might say "a certainty" that the aircraft would be unable to depart but this was not signalled to passengers until "the last second".
Given that Beauvais was isolated and some distance from Paris, to which the bus service was infrequent, passengers should have been given this precautionary information "well before" their flight time, he said.
Judge Devally heard evidence from Mr Pat O'Driscoll of 21 Hillside Road, Glasheen, Co Cork, - who had travelled to Paris with his girlfriend Marie to get engaged - that passengers were told the airport would be closing around the same time as the cancellation of the flight was announced.
The Judge said this was "a double whammy" and caused a certain amount of worry, panic and anxiety for passengers.
Mr O'Driscoll decided to travel to Charles de Gaulle airport from where he and six other passengers took an Aer Lingus flight home.
Mr O'Driscoll also told the court that when he inquired at the Ryanair desk about the next available flight out of Beauvais he was told there was no availability on any flight for a week. However, staff did offer to put him on stand-by or to refund him the unused portion of his ticket.
The Judge said there had been "a lack of candour" by the airline with passengers, but otherwise "almost all" their contractual obligations had been met by Ryanair, who scheduled an extra flight the next day to carry home many of the stranded passengers.
Those awarded compensation included Mr O'Driscoll and his wife Marie; Brian and Una Davis of 53 Balally Avenue, Dundrum, Dublin 16; Andrew and Pauline McDermott, 180 Forest Hills, Rathcoole, Co Dublin; and David Smyth, 5 Atlantic View, Church Road, Tramore, Co Waterford.