Ryanair strike – latest updates: 70,000 passengers affected as pilots in Germany, Belgium, Sweden and Ireland begin 24-hour walkout

Ryanair's chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs said of the German pilots' union decision to strike:

"We regret the decision of the VC to go ahead with this unnecessary strike action given that we sent through a revised proposal on a Collective Labour Agreement (on Friday 3 August) and stated our intention to work towards achieving a CLA together.

"We also invited VC to meet us on Tuesday (7 August) but they did not respond to this invitation.

"Our pilots in Germany enjoy excellent working conditions. They are paid up to €190,000 p.a. and, as well as additional benefits, they received a 20 per cent pay increase at the start of this year. Ryanair pilots earn at least 30 per cent more than Eurowings and 20 per cent more than Norwegian pilots."

The airline said it had asked VC to give at least seven days' notice of strike action and called the walkout "unnecessary".

However, VC said in a statement that since 30 July, when 96 per cent of its members voted for industrial action, "no improved offer has been received from Dublin. 

"In its letter to VC dated last week, Ryanair management confined itself to repeating and summarizing what they considered to be the most relevant negotiating positions instead."

BREAKING: Ryanair is going to court to attempt to prevent pilots in the Netherlands from striking over the summer, according to The Dutch Airline Pilots Association (VNV).

The union said in a statement: “The Dutch Airline Pilots Association (VNV) is surprised but also furious about this attack on Dutch labour rights.

“Nowhere else in Europe has Ryanair started this type of lawsuit in recent months. The VNV is also surprised because we didn’t announce a strike of Ryanair pilots in the Netherlands.” 

Ryanair's case is scheduled to be heard on 9 August at 3.30pm in Haarlem.

Hundreds of Ryanair passengers have already expressed their disappointment with the airline on social media.

Nathan Buxton tweeted: "Thanks to Ryanair cancelling German flights my wedding on Saturday will be without my best man or half of my family, thank you for ruining what was suppose to be the best day of my life you are disgraceful, I have spent a lot of money for these people and you have now ruined it."

Others worried about accommodation costs which they cannot reclaim from Ryanair.

"So our flights have been cancelled due to the strike but what about Airbnb that we have booked?" tweeted Lauren Dougherty. 

"Only alternative flight would mean less than 48 hours there before we have to come home and a wasted £250 on accommodation! So disappointing."

Ryanair is using different tactics to nearly every other airline when faced with industrial action.

Independent travel correspondent Simon Calder said: "Ryanair is relying on its size and its fares to see it through the rest of a tumultuous summer and what could be a long, cold winter in what looks increasingly like a war of attrition against the established aviation order."

Despite striking pilots in four countries causing the cancellation of nearly 400 flights, such is the scale of the airline that five out of six passengers will fly as planned on Friday. 

Ryanair pilots in the Netherlands will join the strike on Friday. The Dutch Airline Pilots Association said in a statement:

"This European pilot strike should be a wake up call for the Ryanair management.

"Our goal is clear: Ryanair must change and respect the rights of their workers."

The decision was in response to a move by Ryanair to block industrial action by Dutch pilots over the summer. Haarlem court is due to consider the proposed injunction today.

BREAKING: Ryanair's court case to stop pilots in the Netherlands from striking, heard this afternoon, appears to have been lost.

Dutch pilots' union VNV tweeted: "Victory! The strike on 10 August will go on."

Dutch pilots will join colleagues in Belgium, Germany, Sweden and Ireland in Friday's 24-hour walkout.

It is not yet clear how many flights to and from the Netherlands will be grounded as a result.

Despite Dutch pilots' union VNV winning yesterday's court case against Ryanair to have the right to strike, the airline has said no Ryanair flights to or from the Netherlands are cancelled today.

Ryanair said in a statement: "As Ryanair's pilots have decided to work on Friday 10 August to prevent disruption to our customers travelling on their summer holidays, we are confirming that all of our flights to/from the Netherlands will operate as scheduled.

"There will be no cancellations as a result of the unnecessary strike action by the Dutch pilot union (VNV-DALPA) in the Netherlands.

"Ryanair fully supports the right of Dutch pilots to strike but request that we and our customers are given seven days' notice so we can minimise disruption."

Ryanair pilots in Germany, Belgium, Sweden and Ireland will go ahead with a planned 24-hour strike today, grounded 400 flights and affecting approximately 70,000 passengers.

Ryanair has called today's strike action from pilots in five countries "regrettable and unjustified" and said it has done everything possible to minimise the disruption caused to passengers.

The airline said in a statement: "Over 2,000 Ryanair flights (85 per cent of our schedule) will operate as normal, carrying almost 400,000 customers across Europe.

"We want to again apologise to customers affected by this unnecessary disruption and we ask the striking unions to continue negotiations instead of calling any more unjustified strikes."