Flight rights group takes Ryanair to court over strike compensation

German passenger rights company Flightright is taking Ryanair to court over whether it should pay financial compensation to passengers affected by strikes at the carrier. Ryanair had to cancel around 1 in 6 flights Friday due to a walk-out by pilots in 5 European countries, disrupting an estimated 55,000 travellers. The worst affected country was Germany, where 250 flights were canceled. EU rules state that passengers can claim monetary compensation of up to E400 for flights within the region for canceled or delayed flights, unless the reason is extraordinary circumstances. Strikes have generally fallen under extraordinary circumstances although a ruling by the European Court of Justice in April said that a wildcat strike at TUIfly following a restructuring could not be classed as extraordinary circumstances. <br/>