RYANAIR TO CANCEL UP TO 300 OF 2,400 DAILY FLIGHTS NEXT WEDNESDAY 25 AND THURSDAY 26 TO MINIMISE DISRUPTION TO CUSTOMERS FROM STRIKES BY SOME CABIN CREW IN BELGIUM, PORTUGAL & SPAIN
Ryanair today (18 July) confirmed that it has already this morning issued email and text SMS messages to almost 50,000 customers travelling to/from Belgium, Portugal and Spain next Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th July, advising them that their flights have been cancelled 7 days in advance due to a notified strike by some cabin crew in Belgium, Portugal and Spain.
While deeply regretted, these cancellations will affect approx. 12% of Ryanair’s customers on Wed & Thurs next, and all affected customers have been offered re-accommodation on alternative flights during the 7 days prior to the 25th/26th, or the 7 days after the 25th/26th. Alternatively, these customers can obtain a full refund of their airfares.
To put these cancellations into context, this will involve:
- Up to 200 of over 830 daily Ryanair flights to/from Spain (24%)
- Up to 50 of over 180 daily Ryanair flights to/from Portugal (27%)
- Up to 50 of over 160 daily Ryanair flights to/from Belgium (31%)
- Up to 300 of over 2,400 daily Ryanair flights all over Europe (12%)
Ryanair has added extra Customer Service staff to help re-accommodate/refund these customers over the next 7 days. Any Ryanair customers travelling to/from Belgium, Portugal or Spain next Wed or Thurs, who have not received an email or text SMS today, should expect that their flight will operate as scheduled and should check-in to their departure airport as normal (88% of Ryanair’s customers across Europe will be unaffected).
Ryanair’s Kenny Jacobs said:
Ryanair sincerely apologises to our customers for these disruptions which we have done our utmost to avoid. Given that Ryanair cabin crew enjoy great pay – up to €40,000 p.a. (in countries with high youth unemployment), – industry-leading rosters (14 days off each month), great sales commissions, uniform allowances and sick pay, these strikes are entirely unjustified and will achieve nothing other than to disrupt family holidays, and benefit competitor airlines in Belgium, Portugal and Spain.
All affected customers have been contacted by email and SMS text message earlier today and we will re-accommodate or refund all of those whose flights have been disrupted.
