Ryanair slams 5 countries including UK over major 'scandal' causing delays
Budget airline Ryanair has scathed a cluster of European countries in what it describes as a 'scandal' of understaffing and mismanagement responsible for thousands of delayed flights
Ryanair has unleashed a savage attack on five European countries, including the UK, over thousands of delayed flights. The budget airline has slammed France, Spain, Germany, Greece, and the UK for having the 'worst' Air Traffic Control (ATC) delays in 2024, based on Eurocontrol data.
It is a drum Ryanair has long banged, and comes shortly after it published its name-and-shame 'ATC League of Delays'. ATC delays can be caused by a plethora of reasons, including unavoidable factors such as the weather or military activity.
However, Ryanair argues a huge 'majority' of these delays are directly caused by understaffed airports and 'mismanaged ATCs'. "Despite 20 years of investment in SESAR (Europe's failed 'Single Sky Project') no progress has been made," the airline fumed.
"The new Commission under Ursula von der Leyen has committed itself to delivering competitiveness and efficiency in Europe. Yet, it continues to allow the mismanagement and staff shortages in French, Spanish, German, Greek and UK ATC services."
According to Ryanair's latest press release, in 2024, France experienced a staggering 35,1000 flight delays - impacting some 6.3 million passengers. Spain came a close second, with 32,700 delayed flights affecting 5.9 million passengers. Germany (18,700 delayed flights), Greece (5,000), and the UK (3,380) were also cited in the top five worst ATCs.
"If the Danes, the Belgians, the Dutch, the Irish and the Slovakians can properly staff their ATC services and eliminate 'ATC capacity' delays, then why can't we expect a similar service from the very well-funded (by airlines), but hopelessly mismanaged French, Spanish, German, Greek and UK ATC providers," Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said. "The difference is that these are protected State Monopolies, who don't care about customer service.
"They don't care about passengers, and they don't care about their airline customers either. Every year they are short-staffed and they are responsible for over 90 per cent of Europe's flight delays, which adds an extra 10 per cent to aviation emissions in Europe."
The boss described the data as a 'scandal' of short-staffing and mismanagement, arguing it is now time for the European Commission to 'intervene and demand an efficient, competitive ATC service' from all of Europe. "Ryanair, our customers, and our passengers are fed up with these avoidable ATC delays, which are imposed on us every Summer by the French, the Germans, the Spanish, the Greeks and the British," he added.
Christian Petzold a travel expert and Marketing Director over at BCN Travel, echoed Ryanair's sentiment - arguing ATC delays continue to 'frustrate' both passengers and airlines every summer. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, he said: "Ryanair are right to point out the contrast with high-performing ATC services in countries like Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and Slovakia.
"These countries have managed to staff their control centres and keep operations smooth even in peak summer. For example the Irish Aviation Authority is consistently one of the best for punctuality and minimal en-route delays, due to proactive recruitment and training pipelines for air traffic controllers. In contrast strikes, understaffing and bureaucratic inertia cripple ATC in France and Germany – two of the busiest airspaces in Europe."
Christian added that the European Commission must take "action and demand accountability" as well as push for competition. Otherwise, passengers will see no 'real change' in European aviation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
35 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Energy giant with 5million customers in merger talks to create UK's 3rd BIGGEST gas & electricity supplier
The combined company could serve six million British households SAY WATT Energy giant with 5million customers in merger talks to create UK's 3rd BIGGEST gas & electricity supplier TWO major energy suppliers are in talks about a merger. If it goes ahead it would create the UK's third-largest gas and electricity retailer. Advertisement 3 Spanish-owned Scottish Power could be set to join Ovo Energy in a merger Credit: Alamy 3 The combined companies could serve six million British households Scottish Power, owned by Spain's Iberdrola, and Ovo Energy are in talks to create a merger. It would create a company serving more than six million households, Sky News reports. Talks are still in the early stages, and any formal agreement will take months if it goes ahead. With Ovo being the larger company, serving four million customers, they are likely to be the acquiring entity. Advertisement Iberdrola would potentially contribute cash and remain as a shareholder. If they do merge, it would create the third-largest supplier, behind Centrica-owned British Gas and Octopus Energy. Scottish Power currently serves around 2.4 million households. Alongside the potential merger, Ovo is aiming to raise £300 million from the sale of shares in the company. Advertisement Last year the company hired Rothschild to explore options around new investors or a sale. Rothschild has reportedly contacted financial investors in recent weeks. Stop Making This Air Conditioning Mistake: How to Slash Your Summer Energy Bill Ovo became one of the UK's leading suppliers in 2020 after it bought the retail supply arm of SSE. Since Justin King became Ovo's chair, the company has prioritised repairing its regulatory relationships. Advertisement Iberdrola bought Scottish Power in 2007 for over £11 billion.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Pilot shares ominous reason passengers have to activate airplane mode on phones
A commercial pilot has revealed why you're asked to put your phone in airplane mode before takeoff - and it's nothing to do with the plane crashing The holiday season is back, and with it all the niggling hassles like squeezing into last summer's shorts, digging out your forgotten passport, and sprucing up those toenails for sandal-worthy feet. Once you've finally boarded your plane, you're often met with a stark reminder from cabin crew to switch your mobile to airplane mode. Is it really plausible that one tiny device could threaten the integrity of a gargantuan jet? This question has been addressed by aviation boffins, and indeed they suggest there's a need for caution. Commercial aviator Perico Durán advises: "Smart people think that something could happen if we don't activate airplane mode, so do it." Back when mobiles were becoming omnipresent, there was genuine concern regarding their potential to disrupt aircraft systems. Notably, in 2011, Boeing 737 cockpit displays were discovered to be vulnerable to mobile-induced interference. Perico clarifies that while interference wouldn't cause an engine failure or stop landing gears from deploying, it might lead to misreadings or untimely distractions: "What might happen is a false indication of something, a distraction at a specific moment." According to Perico, air travel regulations are formulated to preclude even the most minute hazards: "We tell people to activate flight mode to avoid distractions," he asserts. He emphasises the triviality of being disconnected briefly: "What difference does it make?" Perico remarked. "It's only ten minutes from ten thousand to fourteen thousand feet. Put your phone in flight mode and avoid a distraction. Being without your mobile phone for ten minutes is nothing." A 2017 survey by Allianz Travel Insurance involving over 1,500 Americans revealed that 40% don't always switch their phones to airplane mode, with nearly 14% admitting to sneaking texts or calls mid-flight. In the US, adherence to the flight attendant's advice is more stringent due to Federal regulations which state, "cellular telephones installed in or carried aboard airplanes, balloons, or any other type of aircraft must not be operated while such aircraft are airborne (not touching the ground). When any aircraft leaves the ground, all cellular telephones on board that aircraft must be turned off." However, European travel offers a more laid-back approach. With the introduction of 5G technology on airlines in 2023, EU passengers can now freely make and receive calls and texts during flights, thanks to EU 5G networks operating on different frequencies than American ones, thus not interfering with aircraft systems. If you're concerned about your mobile phone battery dying mid-flight, it's perfectly acceptable to bring an external power bank in your carry-on luggage. However, they should not be packed in your checked luggage due to the lithium batteries they contain, which can occasionally ignite. Should a battery fire break out in the passenger cabin, flight attendants can quickly identify and extinguish it before it causes significant damage. Conversely, if a fire starts in the cargo hold, it could become dangerously widespread before an alarm is triggered. If crucial documents like your boarding pass are stored on your phone, having a backup battery is a wise move. While airline staff will likely assist if your phone does run out of juice during your journey, it's always better to be prepared.
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Warning as extreme heat in Europe could see temperatures hit 43C
Warning as extreme heat in Europe could see temperatures hit 43C Temperatures in parts of Europe are reaching extreme levels Firefighters battle a wildfire in Greece earlier this week as temperatures soar across Europe (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images ) Parts of Europe have been put on red alert as temperatures across parts of the continent are set to climb towards the mid-40s in the coming days. Aemet, Spain's national weather agency, has issued a 'special notice' for a heatwave in place for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. In one spot - the Cordoba countryside - there is a "significant risk" and up to a 70% chance that the temperature could reach 43C before Saturday evening. The sweltering heat is set to continue for days and into July. It's not just Spain facing the heat either, as Italy confronts melting tarmac amid the relentless heat and Greece battles vicious wildfires. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . While the UK could see a heatwave of its own in the coming days, the temperatures expected are nothing compared to what people are expected to see in parts of Europe. However, with the school holidays around the corner and many Brits travelling to the continent, advice has been issued. Temperatures in southern Spain on Monday afternoon are feared to be well above 40C Article continues below On its website, the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) has issued warnings about extreme heat in four countries, including in Greece, where nighttime temperatures are sticking stubbornly above 30C in large parts of the country. The FCDO has also issued heat-related warnings for Turkey, Cyprus and Spain. France's national weather agency, Meteo France, has echoed these warnings, cautioning that the high temperatures put "everyone at risk, even healthy people." Portugal recently recorded its highest temperature this year at 40.5 degrees, while parts of Spain have seen the mercury rise above 42 degrees. Article continues below "Countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey that currently attract the traditional 'sun and sand' summer tourists are likely to become too hot for comfort in the summer," said Bas Amelung, a professor at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. , forecasts that popular holiday destinations like Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey could become unbearably hot in summers to come. "If a large majority of holidaymakers thinks some European destinations will soon be 'too hot', they may well start adapting, either by going somewhere else in summer or by going to the same place in another season."
