Irish airlines are the most complained against in Europe, according to a new report by the European Consumer Centre network.
Air passengers' rights are not being enforced by the authorities in each country, the report says, while airlines are adopting "a cynical approach" to complaints.
The network recorded more than 1,500 complaints and disputes last year. Some 17 per cent of these were made against airlines based in Ireland, while 16 per cent were against UK airlines.
The authors said yesterday the level of complaints was proportionate to the number of passengers carried by Irish and UK-based airlines.
Although the report does not name the airlines, Ryanair is the most complained about airline, followed by easyJet. Ryanair carries the majority of passengers within Europe.
European and international airline legislation is failing air travellers and national enforcement bodies are inconsistent and poorly resourced, the report says.
One in three complaints were not resolved, even though the aggrieved passengers had valid claims for compensation.
The European Consumer Centre network report, which was written by the network's Irish and UK directors Tina Leonard and Ruth Bamford, monitors the enforcement of EU regulations introduced in February 2005 that gave consumers rights when flights are delayed or cancelled, or when they are denied boarding.
These rights include entitlement to refreshments and accommodation in the case of delayed flights and compensation when flights are cancelled.
But the rights do not apply in "exceptional circumstances" such as bad weather, security risks, strikes and political instability. The report authors say they suspect this defence is being used as a "get out of jail free" card by airlines to avoid paying compensation.
"You have to be a weather forecaster or an air traffic controller to challenge the airline's decisions," Ms Bamford said.
The report makes 23 recommendations, including extending the time limits for luggage complaints and bringing them within the scope of the EU regulations, defining delays of more than 24 hours as cancellations, and imposing penalties on airlines which do not provide refreshments as required by regulations.
The report highlights several horror stories of passengers who were left stranded at airports, not given any refreshments or information and forced to make their own way home, only to find the airline refusing to pay compensation and the national enforcement body unable to challenge the airline.
In the Republic, the national enforcement body is the Commission for Aviation Regulation. It received 150 complaints between January and September 2006.
