Can we make Ryanair pay for our cancelled flight?

Simon Calder on Madeira, the risk of norovirus on cruise ships, and Heathrow strikes

Passengers waiting to be rebooked at Heathrow after mass cancellations (Supplied)

Q Ryanair cancelled our flight to Malaga. They used the excuse that the air traffic controllers in France are on strike. I have checked on Flightradar24, and it’s clear that lots flew to southern Spain from all UK airports, with some diverting a long way over the Atlantic Ocean. So can I claim off Ryanair for this cancellation? We have effectively lost two days of our holiday.

Gary P

A I share your pain. On Friday 26 May, I was stuck at London Heathrow with a cancelled flight due to the British Airways IT meltdown, while all around BA flights were taking off. It’s frustrating when yours is the departure selected to be axed, but this is inevitable when large-scale disruption arises.