Ryanair: 90 pct of flights operate normally

By Muhammed Ali Gurtas

ANKARA (AA) - Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair announced Friday 90 percent of its scheduled flights will operate without being affected by the ongoing strike.

"Despite the regrettable and unjustified strike action taking place in 6 of our 37 markets today, all 400 first wave aircraft departed on schedule this morning," the airline said.

The company's announcement came after cancellation of 250 flights due to a one-day strike by its pilots and cabin crew in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

"Today, over 2,150 Ryanair flights will operate as normal carrying 400,000 customers across Europe.

"Ryanair took every stop to minimize the disruption and we notified our customers as early as possible advising them of their free move, refund or reroute options," the airline said.

On Wednesday, Michael O’Leary, Ryanair's CEO, said the company made progress with the unions in many EU countries since it agreed to recognize unions in December, 2017.

“In certain countries, most notably in Portugal, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden similar progress is being impeded by the interference of competitor airline pilots and cabin crew who are conspiring to call repeated and unnecessary strikes, which are disrupting Ryanair’s customers, and damaging our business for the benefit of their legacy airline employers,” O’Leary said.

He also noted that the majority of Ryanair’s pilots and cabin crew show no support to these strikes.

On Thursday, the airline also condemned the German pilot strike, and described it as "unnecessary.”