LOW-COST airline Ryanair has announced a further 18,000 flights will be cancelled from mid-November to mid-March, affecting 34 routes and an estimated 400,000 customers.
A total of 25 aeroplanes in the Irish company's 400-strong fleet will cease to operate until March 18, 2018 to 'eliminate the risk' of further last-minute cancellations such as those suffered by passengers this month and also travellers who have booked for October.
“Flying 25 fewer aircraft this winter will result in a number of flight and schedule changes from November to March 2018,” Ryanair says.
“We have fewer than 400,000 customers booked on these flights.”
On average, one flight a day across Ryanair's 200 airports will be affected for the next five months, although the company stresses that many of these have not yet been booked.
From April 2018, when the carrier increases its fleet to 445 aircraft, a further 10 fewer planes will run to 'relieve the backlog' of annual leave.
“Fewer than 1% of the 50 million customers Ryanair will carry this winter are affected, and every one of these customers has received an email giving them between five weeks' to five months' notice of these schedule changes, offering them alternative flights or full refunds,” Ryanair continues.
“They have also received a €40 travel voucher (€80 return), again for travel between October and March.
“This flight voucher is in addition to the flight re-accommodation and refunds they received last week, and applicable to the EU261 compensation which they may claim and receive over the the coming weeks (note: €40 per seat exceeds Ryanair current average fare).”
The company says reducing flights in winter and from April will enable them to cover remaining annual leave for pilots over October to December inclusive.
Once again, chief executive Michael O'Leary expressed his 'sincere apologies'.
“From today, there will be no more rostering-related flight cancellations this winter or in summer 2018,” he assures.
A 'slower growth' will 'create lots of spare aircraft and crew' and allow Ryanair to 'manage the exceptional volumes of annual leave' it 'committed to delivering' in the nine months up to this coming December.
“We will start a new 12-month leave period on January 1, 2018 in full compliance with European Union regulations and the Irish Aviation Authority's requirements,” O'Leary concludes.
Those who have already been given warning are not entitled to compensation under the EU261 rule, since they have had ample notice in accordance with European regulations.
A total of 34 routes have been suspended between November 17 and March next year.
Those affecting Spain are the Glasgow-Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the Sofia (Bulgaria) to Castellón routes only.
