RYANAIR CALLS ON EU PRESIDENT URSULA VON “DERLAYED-AGAIN” TO URGENTLY REFORM EU’S BROKEN ATC SYSTEM

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Wed, 24 Sep) called on EU President, Ursula von “Derlayed-Again”, to urgently reform EU’s broken ATC system after over 1,600 passengers’ travel plans were disrupted on Sun (21 Sep) due to repeated Eindhoven ATC mismanagement and staff shortages.

Despite Ryanair’s long-standing campaign for EU-wide reform to ensure ATC providers are fully staffed, over 21 million Ryanair passengers have suffered unnecessary delays or cancellations so far in 2025 (Jan – Sept) due to mismanagement and staff shortages at ATC service providers across Europe.

The Draghi Report on competitiveness was published in Sept 2024, highlighting the multi-billion cost of ATC inefficiencies and flight delays. Despite promising urgent action on the Draghi Report, Ursula von “Derlayed-Again” has done nothing to reform the EU’s broken ATC system. Europe’s airlines are united in calling for 2 effective reforms; (1) mandate that national ATC services are fully staffed for the first wave of morning flights or face fines, and (2) the EU Comm acts to protect overflights during national ATC strikes. These 2 simple reforms would eliminate 90% of EU ATC delays.

Ryanair calls on all passengers to visit the ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’ webpage and demand that EU President, Ursula von “Derlayed-Again” and national Transport Ministers take urgent action to properly staff their national ATC services to prevent further unnecessary ATC delays for EU passengers.

Ryanair’s Director of Comms, Jade Kirwan, said:

“It is unacceptable that Europe’s passengers continue to suffer avoidable ATC disruptions due to repeated ATC mismanagement and staff shortages – as was the case in Eindhoven on Sunday (21 Sep) where over 1,600 Ryanair passengers’ travel plans were unfairly disrupted due to repeated Eindhoven ATC staff shortages.

Ryanair calls on EU President Ursula von “Derlayed-Again” to take action to urgently reform the EU’s broken ATC system, starting with a mandate that ATC services are fully staffed, especially for the critical first wave of morning flights.”

FRENCH ATC STRIKE (18 SEP) DISRUPTS 35,000 RYANAIR PASSENGERS AND COUNTING

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Thurs, 18 Sep) called on EU President, Ursula von “Derlayed-Again”, to urgently reform EU ATC to protect overflights during national ATC strikes or quit. This comes as over 190 Ryanair flights and 35,000 Ryanair passengers suffered avoidable delays of up to 3 hours today due to yet another French ATC strike.

70% of the flights disrupted by today’s French strikes were overflights. These flights are not even flying to/from France but flying across French airspace. It is inexcusable that the thousands of EU citizens on these overflights (travelling from London to Rome or Athens to Dublin, etc. – not France) are forced to suffer delays due to a French strike over the national budget – a matter that has nothing to do with them! It is even more absurd that these overflight delays could have been avoided if Ursula von der Leyen had taken any action over the last 6 years to defend the Single Market for air travel by separating the upper air space, and allowing Eurocontrol to manage overflights during national ATC strikes.

The Draghi Report on competitiveness was published in Sept 2024, highlighting the multi-billion cost of ATC inefficiencies and flight delays. Despite promising urgent action on the Draghi Report, Ursula von der Leyen has done nothing to reform the EU’s broken ATC system. Europe’s airlines are united in calling for 2 effective reforms; (1) mandate that national ATC services are fully staffed for the first wave of morning flights or face fines, and (2) the EU Comm acts to protect overflights during national ATC strikes.

French unions have called for another strike from 7-9 Oct, during which Europe’s airlines will be forced to cancel and delay hundreds more flights overflying France. Ursula von der Leyen must now take urgent action to protect these EU citizens and the Single Market from being shut down by French ATC unions.

Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said:

“Yet again today, thousands of EU passengers – the vast majority of whom are travelling on overflights – have had their travel plans needlessly disrupted by French ATC strikes while Ursula von “Derlayed-Again” sits on her hands doing squat. Six years as Commission President and she has done nothing to fix the EU’s broken ATC system despite Europe’s airlines handing her simple solutions; (1) require that national ATC services are fully staffed for the first wave of morning flights, and (2) protect overflights (and the Single Market) during national ATC strikes.

If President von “Derlayed-Again” won’t protect overflights during national ATC strikes, then she should step aside and let someone competent do the job. Europe needs reform and competitiveness. We don’t need useless politicians promising reform but doing nothing. Passengers flying from London to Rome or Brussels to Madrid shouldn’t be held hostage every time there’s a national ATC strike because Ursula von “Derlayed-Again” won’t do her job!”

REAFFIRMING RYANAIR’S ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY ON PASSENGER MISCONDUCT

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Wed, 17 Sept) welcomed the decision by the Alicante Courts to convict an unruly passenger who disrupted flight FR7567 from Ibiza to Alicante on 4 June 2025 by physically assaulting a crew member onboard. This disruptive passenger was found guilty in court and fined €270.

Ryanair is committed to ensuring that all passengers and crew travel in a comfortable and stress-free environment free of unnecessary disruption caused by a tiny number of unruly passengers. Ryanair has a strict zero tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct and will continue to take action to combat unruly passenger behaviour on aircraft for the benefit of the vast majority of passengers who do not disrupt flights.

Ryanair’s Director of Communications, Jade Kirwan, said:

“We welcome the Alicante Court’s conviction of this unruly passenger whose inexcusable behaviour disrupted a flight from Ibiza to Alicante in June last. This demonstrates just one of the many consequences that passengers who disrupt flights will face as part of Ryanair’s zero tolerance policy. We hope this will further deter disruptive behaviour on flights so that both passengers and crew can travel in a comfortable and respectful environment.”

700 RYANAIR FLIGHTS AND 125,000 RYANAIR PASSENGERS FACING CANCELLATIONS NEXT WEEK

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Fri, 12Sep) called on Commission President Ursula “Von Derlayed-Again” to take urgent action to protect all EU overflights during 2 days of French ATC strikes on 17 / 18 Sept next. Already, Ryanair has been notified that it may be required by French ATC to cancel up to 700 overflights across France over those 2 days, cancelling the flights of more than 125,000 Ryanair passengers. These overflight cancellations would be avoided, if Ursula von der Leyen had taken any action over the last 2 years to separate the upper air space and allow Eurocontrol to manage overflights during national ATC strikes, as Airlines 4 Europe (A4E) has repeatedly called for. President von der Leyen wrongly claims that ATC is a “National Competence”, when overflights are a Single Market Competence, and therefore subject to protection by the EU Commission.

When the Draghi Report was published in Sept 2024, it highlighted the multi-billion cost of ATC inefficiencies and flight delays. Despite promising urgent action on the Draghi Report, Ursula von der Leyen has done nothing over the last 12 months to reform the EU’s broken ATC system. Europe’s airlines are united in calling for 2 effective reforms (1) require that national ATC services are fully staffed for the first wave of morning flights (no action taken) and (2) that the EU Commission protects overflights during national ATC strikes (again no action taken). This would not infringe the right of French Air Traffic Controllers to go on strike, but it would protect those flights that are only flying “over” France on 17 and 18 Sept next.

Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said:
“As usual, Ursula von der Leyen has done nothing over the last 12 months on the Draghi Report or ATC reform. Europe’s airlines are agreed on 2 simple and effective reforms, namely (1) ensuring that national ATC providers are fully staffed for the first daily wave of departures and (2) protecting overflights during national ATC strikes. President von der Leyen, who talks a lot about efficiency and competitiveness has repeatedly failed to do anything about it. It is not too late for her to stop talking and start doing. She needs now to authorise Eurocontrol to oversee all overflights over France on 17 and 18 of Sept next, so that thousands of European flights and millions of European passengers do not have their flights delayed or cancelled, because a small number of French Air Traffic Controllers wish to go on strike. The French can go on strike, but Europe must protect overflights, which are a Single Market Competence and not a “National Competence” as Ursula von der Leyen repeatedly claims.

Over the last 5 years, President von der Leyen has proven to be useless in promoting competitiveness or efficiency in Europe. Under her leadership European consumers suffer the highest enviro costs (while we exempt non-European airlines from their fair share of Enviro Taxes), the most burdensome regulation and the world’s least efficient ATC services. Thus far she has been useless at delivering ATC reform, and we call on her again today: Protect overflights next week or resign! If you are not willing to protect the Single Market, then return to Germany, to allow somebody competent to deliver efficiency and competitiveness and protect the Single Market for air travel.”

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Thurs, 11 Sept) announced its partnership agreement with Skyscanner, which guarantees that Skyscanner will now have direct access to Ryanair content, offering customers Ryanair’s low-fare flights to travellers as part of their dynamic product offerings.

This partnership is great news for Skyscanner customers who want to access Ryanair’s low fares, unbeatable choice of 235+ destinations, and impeccable service. Similar to Ryanair’s existing agreements, this new deal ensures that travellers searching for Ryanair flights via Skyscanner will have full price transparency of Ryanair’s flight and ancillary products.

Ryanair’s CMO, Dara Brady, said:

“We are pleased to announce our partnership agreement with Skyscanner –through this new agreement, Skyscanner customers will be able to search for Ryanair’s low-fare flights with the guarantee of full price transparency. We look forward to working with Skyscanner over the coming months.”

Catriona King, VP of Commercial, Skyscanner, said:

“We aim to give our travellers access to the best prices and widest choice, to take the hassle out of trip planning. Partnering with Ryanair will give our millions of travellers direct access to its vast route network for further travel inspiration and help them explore exciting destinations.”

Ryanair today (Tue, 9 Sept) released its Sept OTA Survey, which again exposes OTAs, such as eDreams, Tix & Vola, for overcharging customers up to 125% over Ryanair’s prices. These OTAs, who do not have agreements with Ryanair because they wish to continue overcharging consumers, (with eDreams the biggest overcharger), selling a reserved seat that costs just €8 on Ryanair.com for €18 – an overcharge of 125%. eDreams is also charging its customers €25.72 for a 10kg bag which costs just €12.09 on Ryanair, an overcharge of more than double Ryanair’s website prices. 

Ryanair continues to campaign to protect EU consumers from harmful practices used by OTAs such as eDreams, Tix & Vola. Ryanair urges EU Govts and Consumer Protection Authorities to take action, and demand for mandatory transparency in OTA pricing, in line with the transparent price policy upheld by Ryanair’s “Approved OTA” partners. Despite repeated warnings, many of Europe’s Consumer Agencies and Ministers continue to ignore the consumer harm caused by these overcharging OTAs. It is extraordinary that eDreams – a Spanish OTA – continues to overcharge its unsuspecting Spanish customers while Spain’s useless Consumer Minister, Pablo Bustinduy fails to take any action to defend and protect them.

Ryanair’s Dara Brady said:

“Ryanair September OTA survey shows that eDreams, Tix & Vola (among others) continue to harm unsuspecting consumers with substantial overcharges, of more than double Ryanair website prices. Yet EU Govts and Consumer Protection Authorities, most notably Spain’s useless Consumer Minister Bustinduy does nothing to prevent this harm to thousands of Spanish consumers.

We continue to call on EU Govts and Consumer Protection Authorities to take urgent action against these OTA overcharges, which are causing real harm to consumers all over Europe and particularly in Spain where the overcharging OTA, eDreams, has a large footprint and is harming thousands of consumers.”

NEW FREE CARRY-ON BAG (40 X 30 X 20 CM) IS 33% BIGGER THAN EU STANDARD

Ryanair, Europe’s No. 1 airline, today (Thurs, 4 Sept) confirmed that it has completed the rollout of its bigger carry-on bag sizers at its 235 airports across Europe. From today, Thurs 4 Sept, all Ryanair passengers can now bring a
bigger, free personal bag (40 x 30 x 20cm), which is 33% bigger than the EU standard free carry-on
bag (40 x 30 x 15 cm).

Ryanair allows each passenger to bring 1 free carry-on bag on board, but these bags must be capable of fitting under each passenger’s seat. Should passengers wish to bring an extra carry-on bag, they can do so by purchasing Ryanair’s Priority Boarding service.

Ryanair’s CMO, Dara Brady said:

“From today (Thurs, 4 Sept) Ryanair’s new, bigger free carry-on bag is now 33% larger than the EU standard. Our bag sizers at all airports have now been “resized” to accommodate this bigger, free carry-on bag. All passengers wishing to bring a second carry bag can do so by availing of our Priority Boarding service, and passengers can also purchase check-in bags, should they so wish, during their booking process. We hope our customers will enjoy these bigger, free carry-on bag sizes, but any passenger who fails to comply with these new generous limits, will be required to pay the checked in bag fee at the boarding gate.”