Airline tells delayed passengers to email minister with their complaints

Ryanair recorded a 2% growth in passenger numbers last month (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Archive)

Ryanair is urging passengers affected by air traffic control (ATC) delays to email Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander directly with their complaints. The Dublin-based airline has published the Cabinet minister’s personal parliamentary email address on a website named ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’.

Her email address was already publicly available.

Some 5,782 Ryanair flights were affected by delays caused by the UK’s ATC provider Nats between the start of the year and September 1, the carrier said.

Ryanair called on Ms Alexander to “fix” Nats, which it described as “mismanaged and short-staffed”.

The Government has the largest shareholding in the public-private company at 49%.

It also holds a golden share, giving it additional control.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander (PA Wire)

Ryanair’s director of communications Jade Kirwan said: “It is unacceptable that Nats’ ATC mismanagement and staff shortages continue to cause disruption to UK flights and passengers.

“Already this year, more than one million Ryanair passengers – many of whom were travelling on holidays with young families – have suffered unnecessary and avoidable ATC delays, and all because Minister Alexander has not taken action to properly staff UK ATC services.

“Ryanair calls on all passengers to visit the Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight webpage and demand that their national transport minister – like Minister Alexander – take urgent action to fix their national ATC services and stop these needless ATC delays.”

The website features a mocked-up video of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen slapping an airline passenger in the face.

Ryanair has accused Ms von der Leyen of failing to take sufficient action to improve ATC services.

Nats declined to comment.

It recently cited figures from European air traffic management body Eurocontrol showing the company handled 23.7% of Europe’s traffic in July, and was accountable for 1.8% of delays to flights.

The Department for Transport has been approached for a comment.