Penalty for Ryanair for delays. The airline lost its slots at Eindhoven Airport

The authorities at Eindhoven Airport in the Netherlands have taken action against Ryanair. The Irish airline has been penalized for its notorious delays, losing two slots, i.e., landing rights, in next summer's flight schedule.

Ryanair punished

ACNL, the Dutch Airports Coordination Agency, has removed two slots allocated to Ryanair at Eindhoven Airport. The reason for this is the repeated delays of Monday evening flights from Sofia, Bulgaria, and Thursday evening flights from Pisa, Italy.

Dutch media report that such sanctions are extremely rare for airlines.

The carrier has appealed the decision

Ryanair disagrees with ACNL's decision and has announced that it will appeal. However, the court ruled in favor of the Agency, arguing that “the interest of the slot coordinator in the timely and fair allocation of limited capacity at Eindhoven Airport was more important than the interest of Ryanair.” Furthermore, ACNL issued a warning in mid-June, announcing sanctions. However, actual action against the airline was taken in August.

The Irish carrier claims, however, that the penalty is disproportionately high in relation to the offense, especially when compared to other European airports.

What are airport slots?

Airport slots are allocated time slots that allow an airline to take off or land at an airport. They enable the management of limited airport capacity, ensure smooth traffic flow, and minimize delays.

Compensation for a delayed Ryanair flight

Passenger rights experts at AirCashBack remind you that compensation for a delayed flight is also due when traveling with Ryanair. This is due to EU Regulation 261/2004. You are entitled to compensation for a delayed flight if:

• it was the direct fault of the carrier and was not due to extraordinary circumstances;
• the arrival at the destination was more than 3 hours late;
• no more than one year has passed since the disrupted flight.

If you have experienced a delayed Ryanair flight, contact us and join the thousands of satisfied passengers we have helped. Submit your claim on our website or click the button below.