Ryanair could potentially face legal action in wake of canceling thousands of flights through this upcoming winter.
According to The Guardian, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has taken enforcement action against the Irish budget carrier for "persistently misleading passengers" about their rights as customers.
Earlier this week, Ryanair announced it would cancel 18,000 flights between November and March, a decision affecting approximately 400,000 passengers.
In a letter to Ryanair signed by CAA chief executive, Andrew Haines, the airline regulator threatened to take court action against the low-cost airline if its determined that it breached consumer protection laws.
Haines described Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary's initial statement on the matter as "misleading" and said the carrier failed to provide information regarding its obligation to compensate travelers for additional expenses incurred as a result of their canceled flight.
The CAA also accused the airline of failing to inform customers that its obligated to rebook them on a different airline.
"There are clear laws in place, which are intended to assist passengers in the event of a cancellation...We have made this crystal clear to Ryanair, who are well aware of their legal obligations," said Haines.
On Thursday, Ryanair confirmed that it will meet with the CAA.
While O'Leary insisted that the second wave of cancellations through March would resolve the airline's employee leave issues, former and current Ryanair pilots told The Guardian that more cancellations could be coming if working conditions don't improve and pilots unionize.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Ryanair's Flight Cancellation Fallout[/READMORE]
"That would cause significant delays and some cancellations," an unidentified current pilot told the publication. "Striking is only a last resort, as we don't want to harm the passengers. We only want Ryanair to reason with us and give similar contracts compared with other airlines, easyJet for example, so ultimately it's up to Ryanair, and I'm sure they will not listen until we take collective action."
A former Ryanair pilot said the carrier can't rule out another batch of cancellations.
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