Ryanair rejected your claim: what to do next

Ryanair’s standard rejection and how to answer it

Ryanair answers most EU261 claims with a template that names “extraordinary circumstances” — typically ATC staffing, an ATC strike or weather — and closes the case. Ryanair also refuses to deal with third-party claim companies without a power of attorney, which is why claiming yourself is the fastest route. Reply to the rejection with the questions that matter: the exact cause of your flight’s delay, the time and location of any ATC restriction, and the cause of the first delay if yours was a knock-on from an earlier rotation. Ryanair rarely provides that evidence, and without it the defence fails.

Escalation follows the departure airport. Flights from the UK: AviationADR, an approved scheme Ryanair is a member of and whose decisions bind it. Flights from Ireland: the Irish Aviation Authority, the enforcement body. Flights from other EU countries: that country’s enforcement body — the LBA in Germany, AESA in Spain (whose decisions bind the airline), ENAC in Italy, the DGAC in France. A complaint to a body is free; give it the claim, Ryanair’s answer and your reply.

Court is the final step and the one Ryanair responds to: a small claim in the departure country, or in Ireland under Ryanair’s Irish contract. Ireland’s six-year limitation period is generous; other countries are shorter, so do not let a rejection run the clock.

Read the rejection against the law

Ryanair can lawfully refuse the €250, €400 or €600 compensation in only a few situations: the arrival delay was under 3 hours; the cancellation was announced 14 days or more ahead; a replacement flight met the legal time windows; the flight was outside the scope of EU261; or an extraordinary circumstance caused the disruption and reasonable measures could not have avoided it. Anything else — “operational reasons”, “we are not responsible”, a reference to Ryanair’s own conditions — is not a defence.

Ask for the cause, in writing

Under Article 5(3) the burden of proof lies with Ryanair. Reply to the rejection asking: what exactly caused this flight’s disruption; at what time and airport any restriction applied; whether other Ryanair flights operated; and, for a knock-on delay, what caused the first delay in the rotation. An answer that cannot name a specific cause is an answer that fails the burden of proof.

Escalate to AviationADR (UK flights)

After Ryanair’s final answer, or 8 weeks without one, escalate to AviationADR (UK flights). An approved ADR scheme issues decisions that bind the airline; a national enforcement body investigates and can fine the airline, though it does not always award your money. Either is free to you and needs only the claim, the rejection and your reply.

The court route and the deadline

A small claim in the country of departure (or of Ryanair’s seat) is the final step and often the one that produces payment. The limitation period depends on that country — from one to six years — so a rejection should never be left to run the clock. Horvera’s country pages list the period for each departure country.

What to send when you go back to Ryanair

• the booking reference, flight number and date;
• the scheduled and actual arrival times, or the cancellation notice with its timestamp;
• the distance band and the amount claimed per passenger (€250, €400 or €600);
• the case law on the cause Ryanair named (technical: Wallentin-Hermann, van der Lans; own strike: Krüsemann, Airhelp v SAS; crew: TAP C-156/22);
• a deadline of 14 days before escalation.