Ryanair loses legal bid to identify website critics
13:04 Wednesday July 12th 2006
Ryanair has lost its High Court bid to identify people who posted certain comments the company claims were intimidating on a Ryanair pilots' website.
The action was taken against pilot union IALPA official Neil Johnston.
Ryanair claimed the comments on the website included threats designed to victimise, isolate and intimidate so as to ensure pilots from outside Dublin would not become available to fly a newly introduced fleet of planes from the company's base in the city.
It claimed Mr Johnston had a duty to name the persons identified by the codenames "I hate Ryanair" and "Can't fly won't fly".
Mr Justice Thomas Smyth rejected this, however, and said Mr Johnston's refusal was not an offence, adding that this action was part of an ongoing conflict over union recognition in Ryanair and the company's determination to resist this.