Ryanair forced to hand out compensation to passenger after pilot’s remark on delayed flight
A passenger has successfully claimed £220 compensation from Ryanair after documenting crucial evidence of a flight delay, despite the airline’s initial rejection.
Helen Kirrane secured the payout through Aviation ADR after a three-and-a-half-hour delay on a Dublin to London flight last September.
Key to winning the case was her detailed record-keeping, including notes from pilot announcements and timestamped text messages sent during the delay.
Ryanair initially claimed the delay was caused by air traffic control restrictions, which would exempt them from paying compensation.
A passenger has successfully claimed £220 compensation from Ryanair (Stock Image)
PA
In her This is Money piece, Kirrane wrote that she arrived at Dublin airport at 5pm for a 6.25pm flight, only to find it was already showing a delay of one hour and 45 minutes. Staff at the gate maintained the delay was due to air traffic control issues.
The airline provided a €4 (£3.30) voucher during the wait, which only covered two packets of crisps.
The flight eventually took off at 9.50pm, more than three hours after its scheduled departure.
When she attempted to claim compensation through Ryanair’s website the next day, the airline rejected it, citing “extraordinary circumstances”.
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However, Kirrane noted a crucial announcement from the pilot before takeoff, revealing the aircraft was originally meant to fly to Birmingham instead of London, which contradicted Ryanair’s claim about air traffic control being responsible for the delay.
She maintained a detailed record through text messages sent to her boyfriend during the ordeal, which proved invaluable as timestamped evidence.
The text messages created a “blow-by-blow account” of the delay, providing strong documentation to support the compensation claim.
After receiving Ryanair’s rejection, Kirrane filed a complaint with Aviation ADR, the airline’s designated alternative dispute resolution service.
After receiving Ryanair’s rejection, Kirrane filed a complaint with Aviation ADR (Stock Image)
GETTY
To use the ADR service, passengers must first complain directly to the airline and receive a response or wait eight weeks. For flights under 1,500km with delays exceeding three hours, passengers are entitled to £220 compensation, while longer flights can qualify for up to £520 compensation for significant delays.
Kirrane specifically requested the £220 compensation amount through Aviation ADR.
The ADR adjudicator found that only 14 minutes of the delay was actually caused by air traffic control problems at London Gatwick, revealing the main cause was the late arrival of an aircraft from another flight, prompting Ryanair to perform an aircraft change.
The ADR ruled in her favour, ordering Ryanair to pay the £220 compensation within 30 days.
Around half of all passengers who claim compensation are initially rejected by airlines, making proper documentation essential for successful appeals.
A Ryanair spokesman said: “We do not comment on pending legal proceedings.”
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