Airlines could be forced to pay compensation to customers whose flights are delayed, following an EU ruling today.
The European Court of Justice has upheld a ruling that means passengers whose flights arrive more than three hours late may be entitled to up to 600 euros in compensation, unless extraordinary circumstances, outside their airline’s control, delayed the flight
The court rejected an attempt by Tui Travel, British Airways, easyJet and IATA to avoid paying the charge. The airlines have warned the move could push prices up.
Under current regulations, passengers who are delayed three hours or more are entitled to food and beverages, and a hotel room if the flight is delayed overnight, but no compensation.
The CAA has now updated its Passenger Portal – a dedicated passenger advice section of its website – to ensure that people have access to information about their rights and what they should do if they have a complaint.
Iain Osborne, CAA Director of regulatory policy, said: “Every year around 200 million passengers travel on two million flights to and from the UK, with the vast majority experiencing no problems. However, when something does go wrong, there are regulations in place to protect travellers, and the CAA is ready to ensure companies abide by them.
“Today’s judgment from the Court of Justice of the European Union offers much needed clarity for passengers, the airline industry and the CAA about when compensation must be paid following delays.”