Ryanair seeks £3m damages in terrorism security suit

RYANAIR is suing the government for £3 million over "nonsensical and ineffective" security measures put in place at airports after alleged bomb plots.

The budget airline's legal action marks a new low in government and aviation industry relations in the wake of the 10 August arrests of people the police say were planning to explode bombs on Transatlantic flights.

Michael O'Leary, the Irish company's outspoken chief executive, insisted that he was taking the step not to make money but in the hope of forcing ministers to relax security and ease delays faced by passengers.

In the event that the airline is successful in its case, Mr O'Leary said, any money it wins will be donated to charity.

Immediately after the 10 August arrests, all hand baggage was banned. While those rules have been relaxed, there remain tight limits on the size of cabin bags, while liquids and toiletries remain banned.

Security officials insist that the measures are necessary to ward against the threat of terrorists smuggling liquid explosives aboard aeroplanes. However, Mr O'Leary has ridiculed the security measures, which have not been replicated in other European countries.

"The longer these additional, yet nonsensical and ineffective security measures remain at the UK airports, then the more passengers and visitors will suffer unnecessary queuing, delays and flight cancellations," he said.

"The Department for Transport is undermining the credibility of UK airport security and pandering to the extremists by continuing to require these nonsensical and ineffective measures.

"The DfT has failed to explain how these measures add to or improve airport security."

Privately, government officials are irritated by Mr O'Leary's public attacks, but they say that ministers will not respond directly. Last night, DfT spokesman said only: "As we made clear last week, we continue to face a serious security threat and we will not compromise security."

He added that the department does not "believe that Ryanair has any legal grounds" for its case as established laws give the government the right to take actions to defend the country, regardless of the commercial consequences.