For the third year in a row, airlines from Ireland have received the largest number of customer complaints in the EU.

Figures released from the European Consumer Centre also indicated that the number of complaints lodged against Irish airlines increased by three-fold last year.

Complaints against Ryainair accounted for 70 per cent of the complaints received by the ECC’s office in Dublin. Aer Lingus received the other 30 per cent of the complaints.

Most of the complaints against the airlines were in the areas of lost luggage, delayed flights and cancelled flights.

Ryanair boasts one of the lowest rates of lost luggage of all the airlines in Europe and has good levels of punctuality. Ryanair is based in Dublin and also operates from London Stansted Airport. Ryanair is Europe’s largest low-cost carrier and is often judged as one of the world’s most successful airlines.

Aer Lingus is an Irish airline based in Dublin. The Irish government has a 28 per cent share in the national carrier. In 2006, the airline employed 4,000 people and brought in €1.1 billion in revenue. In 2006, the airline served 8.6 million passengers.

www.ryanair.com