Ryanair has submitted claims to both the Irish and UK governments for compensation for disruption to its flight schedule after the closure of airspace due to volcanic ash.

The low-cost carrier confirmed it had already submitted what it termed “reimbursement claims” to both countries' administrations.

Outlining the case for compensation, a Ryanair spokesman said: “We will be seeking reimbursement of our losses and expenses from the Irish government in line with the guidelines set out by EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas.

“The current regulations — which impose an unlimited liability on airlines to compensate passengers for their expenses, when travel insurance companies, trains, ferries and bus providers pay nothing because it is an Act of God/Force Majeure event — are patently unfair and discriminatory,” he continued.

“If the governments expect the airlines to reimburse these expenses, which were not caused by any fault of the airlines, then clearly the governments will have to reimburse the airlines.

“Ryanair has already submitted reimbursement claims to the

Irish and UK governments.”

Any claim for compensation is likely to run into millions of euro, given the estimates of revenue lost on a daily basis at the height of the volcanic ash disruption last month.

Ryanair, which operates from George Best Belfast City and City of Derry airports, described European governments as being “hopelessly unprepared” for the volcanic ash eruptions, and the effect they had on air travel.