Ryanair appeals over its failed defamation action against pilots

Ryanair has asked the Court of Appeal to overturn a jury’s decision that the airline was not defamed in an email sent to pilots about its shares and the markets. The appeal arises out of a Dec 2017 High Court jury finding that 3 members of the Ryanair Pilot Group had not defamed the airline in the email sent to 2,289 pilots. It followed a 7-week trial which centred on a September 2013 email headed: “Pilot update: what the markets are saying about Ryanair.” The airline claimed the defendants were saying that, by innuendo or insinuation, Ryanair misled investors and knowingly facilitated insider dealing by management. It also wrongly meant the airline was guilty of market manipulation and conspired with management to abuse the markets, it claimed. <br/>