UK CAA regulator furious over Ryanair breach of law

With the announcement of a further cancelation of flights over a five-months period, the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)s Chief Executive, Andrew Haines has said he is ‘furious’ that the airline has failed to comply with the law with regard to how passengers have been treated.
The initial round of flight cancelations has affected 400,000, and it is believed a similar number will be further affected. Ryanair has announced it is to suspend 34 routes this winter, including Stanstead to Glasgow and Edinburgh, Gatwick to Belfast, and Newcastle to Faro.
The CAA has launched “enforcement action” against Ryanair after the carrier wrongly claimed that it did not have to reroute passengers on rival airlines. According to a statement issued by Ryanair, it claims: “We already comply fully with all EU261 legislation, are meeting with the CAA and will comply fully with whatever requirements they ask us to.”
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Mr. Haines indicated that he doubted the dispute would reach the courts, but deemed Ryanair’s actions “unacceptable.” He also singled out the carrier’s boss for specific criticism, saying: “”Michael himself said he wasn’t going to pay for passengers to fly on other airlines. That’s against the law.
“My concern with Ryanair, and the reason we are speaking so openly, is they say one thing and yet they don’t follow it through.”
The CAA said information given on Ryanair’s website failed to make it obvious that the airline was obligated to refund all expenses incurred as a result of flight cancellation.
The CAA has made it clear that these expenses include meals, hotels, as well as transfer costs for the rerouting on another airline when there was no suitable Ryanair alternative.