Ryanair Cancels More Flights, Greece also Affected

Aiming to cut the risk of further flight cancellations, Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair is reducing its flying schedule by canceling some 18,000 flights this winter, affecting the travel plans of 400,000 passengers.

Routes to be affected in Greece include Chania (Crete) to Athens, Paphos (Cyprus) and Thessaloniki. Furthermore, flight connections between Thessaloniki and Amburg, Bratislava, Paris and Warsaw will also be affected.

According to an announcement, Ryanair has decided to slow its growth this winter — from November 17 to March 18 — in order to eliminate the risk of further flight cancellations, as slower growth creates lots of spare aircraft and crews across its 86 bases this winter. The carrier will fly 25 less aircraft (of its 400 fleet) and 10 fewer aircraft (of 445) from April 2018.

The flight cancelations come after Ryanair axed up to 50 flights a day through to the end of October due to “messing up” pilot holiday rosters.

“We sincerely apologize to those customers who have been affected by last week’s flight cancellations, or these sensible schedule changes announced today,” said Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary.

All  passengers affected, have been  offered re-accommodation or full refunds and their applicable EU261 entitlements, according to O’Leary. In addition they are receiving a travel voucher (40 euros one way/80 euros return), which they may use to book any Ryanair flight of their choice during October for travel between October and March 2018.

The company will roster all of the extra pilot leave necessary between October and December in order to meet IAA’s requirement to complete a 9 month annual leave transition period.

Moreover, it will roll out a series of low fare seat sales for winter 2017, confident that there will be no further roster related cancellations.