Budget airline Ryanair is appealing a recent Dutch court ruling which rejected claims of defamation by Dutch broadcaster KRO in a three-part series, the Irish Times reports.

Current affairs programme Reporter carried interviews at the end of 2012 with four anonymous Ryanair pilots who said they regularly fly with less fuel than they would like on company orders.

The airline said at the time the programme was factually incorrect and criticised the makers for failing to contact it for a reaction. It then went to court demanding the series be halted and it be given access to unedited film material.

Three airports

The programme led the Dutch government to ask the Irish authorities for an explanation. Ryanair operates flights from three Dutch airports.

Ryanair described the Dutch court decision in favour of the KRO as ‘bizarre’.

This article was amended to reflect an inaccuracy in the Irish Times report.