Ryanair vehemently criticized the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) for the information contained in its preliminary report about the significant disruption in the UK airspace on August 28th and 29th. According to Ryanair, the NATS report contains a number of inaccuracies and fails to take full responsibility for the large-scale disruptions which greatly affected operations and passengers.
Discrepancies in Reported Flight Delays and Cancellations
Ryanair highlighted the discrepancies between the figures reported by NATS and the actual numbers as confirmed by other sources such as Eurocontrol. The release indicated that while NATS claimed that 1,500 flights were cancelled on the day, Eurocontrol suggested the number to be over 2,000. Moreover, Ryanair disputed NATS’ figures on flight delays, stating that over 1,000 of its own flights were delayed, in contrast to the 575 reported delays cited by NATS.
Questions Over Backup System Efficacy
The airline raised serious concerns regarding the efficacy of NATS’ backup systems. They pointed out that one inaccurate flight plan had the ability to compromise not only the primary ATC system but also its backup, questioning the reliability of such systems in ensuring seamless air traffic operations. The press release urged NATS to address why its backup system failed and to articulate measures being put in place to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Delays in Communication and Remote Support
Ryanair also took issue with the delay in communication from NATS about the system collapse, noting that they were informed about the incident three hours after NATS became aware, and that the notification came from Eurocontrol rather than NATS. Further criticism was leveled at NATS’ engineering team, whom Ryanair accused of being ineffective in dealing with the situation as they were “supporting remotely to reduce travel time”, which Ryanair interpreted as “sitting at home doing nothing useful”.
Calls for Compensation and Reimbursement
Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, asserted that NATS had a moral obligation to reimburse airlines for the considerable costs incurred during the disruption, including hotel accommodations, meals, and alternative transport arrangements for passengers. O’Leary mentioned that Ryanair alone had to deal with over 370 flight cancellations affecting over 63,000 passengers, and more than 1,500 flight delays impacting over 270,000 passengers over the two days. He argued that NATS should not absolve itself from the responsibility of compensating airlines for these costs, urging the Secretary of Transport, Mark Harper, to intervene if necessary.
Seeking Accountability and Future Preventive Measures
In the statement, O’Leary emphasized the need for NATS to fully acknowledge the extent of the disruption, stating that the report “ridiculously understates” the number of affected flights and passengers. He urged NATS to take responsibility for what he termed as “lamentable incompetence” and to commit to enhancing the reliability of its systems to prevent such large-scale disruptions in the future.
Ryanair is urging for a transparent, factually accurate account of the events that transpired, and for NATS to initiate efforts in bolstering their infrastructure to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The call for financial reimbursement, according to O’Leary, stems from a need for accountability and ensuring the welfare of both the airlines and the passengers affected.
