Ryanair drags passengers before the Dutch Supreme Court on EU261/2004 compensations

After the strikes that grounded multiple flights last summer, Ryanair refused to pay compensation to scores of Dutch passengers. Claim organisation Aviclaim won a lawsuit on behalf of the passengers at a canton court. Ryanair was sentenced by the judge to pay compensation to the victims of these cancellations.

Ryanair states that the canton court judge has not taken the right decision. The result is that passengers have been summoned to appear before the Supreme Court, which will have to judge whether the canton court judge has acted correctly.

The claim organisation expects that the highest court in the Netherlands will decide in favour of the passengers. The European Court has already ruled in the past that a strike by its own staff does not fall under exceptional circumstances.

Recently, the Dutch Consumers’ Association asked ILT (the Dutch Environment and Transport Inspectorate) to impose a fine on Ryanair for not paying the compensation. ILT stated that a civil court must first pass judgment on this.

Because there is already a judgment, Aviclaim has now published it on its website. Passengers and other interest groups can use it to enforce compensation.