Stansted flights hit by Ryanair cancellations

Eleven flights leaving Stansted have been cancelled today as Ryanair tries to tackle a crisis over pilot leave.

Flights to Barcelona, Bologna, Bordeaux, Bergerac, Faro, Krakow, Limoges, Lisbon, Marseille, Nice and Porto were scrapped.

Flights into Stansted from the same places were also cancelled.

Eight flights leaving the Essex airport were withdrawn yesterday (Saturday September 16).

It comes as Ryanair said it would be cancelling up to 50 flights a day for the next six weeks after it "messed up" the planning of pilot holidays.

Ryanair said air traffic control (ATC) delays and strikes, bad weather and abacklog of annual leave to be taken by pilots and cabin crew had led topunctuality falling to below 80% over the last two weeks.

A spokesman said this figure was "unacceptable" and the company hasapologised to affected customers, who it said will be offered alternativeflights or refunds.

Some customers said last-minute cancellations had left them out-of-pocket due to non-refundable accommodation costs, or with no choice but to book expensive alternative flights or transport.

Others said they had been left stranded in their holiday destination and many urged Ryanair to publish a list of all flight cancellations.