The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has said that it has asked the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to consider taking action against budget airline Ryanair for misleading consumers in its adverts and for unwillingness to comply with ASA rulings

The ASA said that Ryanair had failed in the following areas:

- Making exaggerated claims about the extent of availability of flights at the advertised price

- Advertising prices that were not inclusive of taxes and charges

- Making misleading and derogatory comparisons with competitors

- Not stating clearly significant restrictions that would exclude customers from taking advantage of an offer, and

- Not providing evidence to prove the claims they were making.

Christopher Graham, director general of the ASA, said, It is very disappointing, but absolutely necessary, that we have had to take this course of action. The ASA has given Ryanair every opportunity to put its house in order and ensure that its advertising adheres to the Codes. Instead, they have continued to mislead consumers and denigrate competitors.

We would prefer to work with advertisers within the self-regulatory system rather than call in a statutory body, but Ryanair's approach has left us with no option but to refer them to the OFT who will consider appropriate action.

Ryanair Marketing Advertising