Passengers on way home from Krakow after fog grounded Ryanair flights
Ryanair has said that most of its customers have availed of replacement flights yesterday and today after fog grounded flights to Dublin and Shannon from Krakow on Friday.
Passengers whose flights were cancelled had criticised the airline after claiming they were offered flights home as late as next Thursday. A number of these could not afford to wait, and so booked flights home at their own expense.
in a statement today, the airline said: "The vast majority of customers chose to return on the Ryanair flight operating this route on Saturday (2 Nov) or Sunday (3 Nov) and not on the service operating next Thursday (Nov 7).
"The Sunday flight did not carry a full load, so seats were available. Ryanair sincerely apologised for this heavy fog weather cancellation which was entirely beyond our control.”
Irish passengers have criticised Ryanair after the airline cancelled flights from Krakow to Dublin and Shannon due to fog.
The delays began at 3pm on Friday. Flights to Dublin and Shannon were among 15 cancelled because of fog at Krakow Airport.
Ryanair says it offered passengers refunds or a switch to the next available flight, but some passengers say they were told the next availability would be as late as next Thursday.
Such passengers then had to choose whether to pay for an earlier flight home, or accommodation until their rescheduled flight.
Dublin-based teacher Róisín Ní Dhonnabhain said the flight cancellation has cost her a significant amount of money.
"We paid over €1,000 out of our own pockerts for flights alone, and then about €200 on the hotel for two nights," she said.
"It's a huge amount of money - nearly a half a month's wages - trying to get home."
Ryanair said: "Affected customers were notified by email and SMS text message and advised of their options of a refund or free move to the next available flight. Ryanair sincerely apologised for this weather cancellation which was entirely beyond our control."
