It seems Ryanair has created one hell of an onmishambles with it cancelling 40-50 flights a day for the next six weeks
Ryanair Boeing 737-800 at Birmingham Airport – About 2% of the Ryanair network will be out of action – Image, Economy Class and Beyond
By changing an annual leave year, it seems that Ryanair are short-crewed on some routes, and in a bid to save face and increase their performance statistics, they’ve chosen to actively cancel flights instead.
And as a result, there are short notice cancellations left, right and centre.
The airline has published list of cancelled flights – but this goes up to WEDNESDAY 20th SEPTEMBER ONLY… and not a day beyond that.
Ryanair’s Robin Kiely in a statement states:
“We have operated a record schedule (and traffic numbers) during the peak summer months of July and August but must now allocate annual leave to pilots and cabin crew in September and October (while still running the bulk of our summer schedule). This increased leave at a time of ATC capacity delays and strikes, has severely reduced our on-time performance over the past two weeks to under 80%. By cancelling less than 2% of our flying programme over the next six weeks, (until our winter schedule starts in early November) we can improve the operational resilience of our schedules and restore punctuality to our annualised target of 90%.
We apologise sincerely to the small number of customers affected by these cancellations, and will be doing our utmost to arrange alternative flights and/or full refunds for them.”
Which – to put it mildly – is very weak indeed. 2% of flights over that period could represent up to 400,000 passengers affected over the next few weeks if this continues.
We all know schedules can’t be maintained sometimes – but the big problems that Ryanair have created for themselves are these:
- A distinct lack of communication to its passengers – With a mere two days notice of cancellations, that leaves near enough no time to sort out alternative flights or accommodation. Cancellation charges will be borne by the consumer
- A total lack of planning – if there had been so much leave planned, why the heck wasn’t it planned better? In addition, the lack of a timetable at this point of cancelled flights for the next few weeks is unforgivable
- Changing the leave year – a problem of their own making, with the airline expecting everyone to cram their leave in.
Ultimately – Ryanair have shot themselves in the foot. BADLY – and in the process, shot prospective customers at the same time.
If an airline cannot operate its published schedule, or cannot plan its cancellations in appropriately, it destroys trust. With the goodwill it has tried to build from “Always Getting Better”, Ryanair returns to a bad habit of acting like cowboys in the sky.
Which is no way for any airline to act.
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Does EU 261 apply in any way here ?
You betchya!