Anti-Ryanair Website Takes Flight

A website devoted to criticising Irish budget airline Ryanair has been forced to move after a ruling by a domain name tribunal.

The website, www.ihateryanair.co.uk, was referred to the tribunal by the Ryanair management over fierce criticism of the airline and its use of the tagline "the world's most hated airline".

The super-critical site was set up by disgruntled passenger Robert Tyler from Walthamstow in London, in February 2007 to target many of the claims made by the carrier, such as its boasts of being on time.

In a statement today from the site, which is now situated at www.ihateryanair.org, a spokesman wrote: "Ryanair, the world's most hated airline, have recently taken us to a Nominet domain name tribunal over the usage of the domain name for this website.

Unfortunately, [Ryanair] won the dispute on a small technicality concerning £322 generated through affiliate deals, but never fear, we have already moved the site to its new home. We are yet to decide on whether or not to appeal the decision."

Meanwhile, Ryanair has today welcomed a decision by the Court of Appeal to overturn the a Competition Appeals Tribunal decision to uphold an appeal by the British Airports Authority (BAA) against the commission's original ruling that the authority should be broken up. The ruling could see the operator sell two more of its seven airports in Britain.

BAA last December won part of its appeal against an earlier ruling saying it must sell Gatwick and Stansted airports near London, as well as either Glasgow or Edinburgh. It sold Gatwick to a US group last year.

But judges at Britain's Court of Appeal said on Wednesday that the original decision made by the Competition Commission in March 2009 against BAA should stand.

The judges said it was wrong of the competition appeals tribunal to find "apparent bias" in the Competition Commission's ruling ordering the sale of the airports.

Speaking today, Ryanair's Michael O'Leary said: "Ryanair congratulates the Competition Commission on successfully overturning the [BAA] appeal, and we call again for the early disposal of Stansted and Glasgow airports."

(DW/BMcC)