After repeated postponements, discussions have resumed officially at the Charleroi commercial court on flights cancelled by the Irish low-budget carrier Ryanair. Attorneys for the Happy Flights and AirHelp companies, representing the dozens of affected passengers, argued that new arguments put forward by Ryanair are not applicable. In his arguments, Attorney De Man accused the airline of “using all possible stratagems to delay the Court’s ruling”.
Ryanair, on the other hand, questioned the plaintiffs’ quality as consumers and felt the passengers had erred in choosing Happy Flights and AirHelp as their representatives.
“Since the clients contracted two commercial companies to defend their interests, the quality of consumer cannot apply,” it said. It “is clearly indicated in the general conditions that clients can submit claims to the company on Ryanair’s Internet site using a form that can be simply completed in three phases”
They should then wait for 28 days for a response from the company and only then can they approach anyone else to defend their interests, Ryanair said, stressing that this was the only way to be fully reimbursed.
No fewer than 142 flight-cancellation complaints are included in this huge caseload. Rulings are expected on 14 June.
The Brussels Times
