Ryanair accuses UK air traffic controllers of ‘discrimination’

Ryanair has submitted a formal complaint to the European Commission and the UK Civil Aviation Authority alleging "blatant discrimination" against it and Stansted Airport by air traffic controller (ATC) providers.

The airline said NATS, the airline-owned ATC provider in the UK, gives Heathrow “special treatment”, while Gatwick “is also being preferred”.

It said Stansted Airport suffered 52 per cent of all ATC delays in the London area from January to March caused by NATS, while Heathrow, which has three times the traffic, had none of NATS delays and Gatwick just 10 per cent.

“The failure of NATS to fairly supply ATC staffing and airspace resources at Stansted Airport has wreaked havoc this summer on both Ryanair and London Stansted flight schedules,” a spokeswoman for Ryanair said.

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She said 2018 was shaping up to be the “worst year on record” for ATC disruptions at Stansted.

“Like all other EU airlines, Ryanair has been forced to cancel hundreds of flights as a result of UK ATC staffing shortages and management failures,” she said.

“However, Ryanair and Stansted have been discriminated against by NATS who refuse to explain why 52 per cent of all London ATC delays are at Stansted but there are zero at Heathrow and just 10 per cent at Gatwick where NATS’ shareholders BA and Easyjet are the main airlines.”

Rejected

A spokeswoman for NATS rejected Ryanair’s assertions and said it “cannot be blamed” for the company’s performance. “NATS does not discriminate between airlines or airports,” she said.

“Ryanair performance this summer cannot be blamed on UK air traffic control. The figures Ryanair quotes from earlier this year coincide with the introduction of new technology that affected the number of flights in and out of Stansted during that period.

“Luton Airport was similarly affected at that time and other airports were affected at other times over a six-month period. All airlines and airports were notified of the timetable in advance and understood the new technology will help us increase capacity safely in the future.

“NATS has a duty to ensure commercial aircraft can fly safely through UK airspace. Adding extra controllers to the Essex airspace will not make a difference. Additional aircraft cannot fly in that area safely without redesigning the airspace which requires consultation with those affected on the ground.”

Ryanair chief operations officer Peter Bellew said the airline and Stansted were "clearly being discriminated against", and that the discrepancy was "unjustifiable".

“These disruptions are unfair and unacceptable, and we call on the UK department of transport and the EU Commission to take urgent action to ensure that the UK ATC provider (NATS) is fully staffed and treats each London airport fairly.

‘Formal complaint’

“NATS don’t have enough staff. Ryanair is today submitting a formal complaint to the European Commission and the UK CAA over this blatant discrimination against Stansted Airport and Ryanair.”

Mr Bellew said the situation was “particularly bad” at weekends, and accused NATS of “hiding behind adverse weather and euphemisms”.

“The truth is they are not rostering enough ATC staff to cater for the number of flights that are scheduled to operate,” he said. “Urgent action must now be taken by the UK department of transport, and the EU Commission.

“Otherwise thousands more flights and millions of passengers at Stansted will continue to suffer disproportionate delays, while NATS protects its shareholder airlines’ services in Heathrow and Gatwick.”