ROME, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Italian prosecutors have opened an investigation into flight cancellations by low-cost airline Ryanair following a complaint by Codacons consumer association, the group said in a statement Thursday.
This means passengers can join the case as civil plaintiffs so they can be compensated, the Codacons said.
This comes after the Irish carrier announced on Sept. 15 that it would cancel 40-50 flights a day -- out of a total of 2,500 daily flights -- to the end of October at nine major European airports, including those in Rome and Milan.
The budget airline said the purpose of the cancellations is "to improve punctuality" and blamed strikes, adverse weather, and holidays taken by pilots and cabin crew. It also said "customers will be contacted directly... and offered alternative flights or full refunds."
On Sept. 19, Italy's National Civil Aviation Agency (ENAC) called Ryanair to a meeting following "passenger complaints". The carrier declined the invitation, saying it was willing to meet with ENAC in October.
On Sept. 20, Italy's Antitrust Authority opened an investigation into the Irish air carrier for alleged unfair commercial practices violating the Consumer Code.
The cancellations may "have been caused by foreseeable organizational and management problems, and not by random and exogenous circumstances outside of Ryanair's control," the Antitrust Authority said in a statement.
Transportation Minister Graziano Delrio also stepped into the fray on Thursday. "Ryanair must respect passengers' rights," Delrio said in a televised interview with RAI public broadcaster. "We will make sure passengers get all the compensation they deserve," the minister added.
Ryanair has tried to keep its pilots in the air by offering them cash bonuses in exchange for 10 days off -- an offer which the pilots have refused.
However, according to Codacons, "pilot flight" to competing companies may be the real reason underlying the cancellations.
The affected airports are in Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Milan, Porto, and Rome, according to the Ryanair website.
