Resumen de Netherlands: : Court of Appeal rejects Ryanair’s appeal over broadcaster’s programme
On 14 July 2015, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal upheld an earlier District Court decision that critical statements made in a Dutch television programme regarding the airline Ryanair were not unlawful.
Around the end of 2012, the Dutch public broadcaster KRO aired two episodes of a programme in which the business practices of Ryanair were said to endanger flight safety. More specifically, it was said that pilots were encouraged to fly with the absolute minimum of fuel and that they felt obliged to fly whilst feeling unwell. KRO also published press releases preceding the broadcasts.
Ryanair appealed the Amsterdam District Court’s judgment, stating that the statements were lawful. Their main complaint is a lack of causality and a lack of factual basis regarding the statements. They also complained about the anonymity of the pilots in the interview
