Airline passengers affected by long delays are being forced to wait up to a year to find out if they will receive compensation, leaving thousands out of pocket.
A number of airlines, including British Airways and easyJet, are refusing to pay customers who were delayed because of technical faults until the outcome of an ongoing court case is decided, the Telegraph reported.
Passengers can claim £100-£480 per person for delays of three hours or more, or for cancelled flights, when the airline is at fault under EU rules.
But passengers can’t claim for delays caused by “extraordinary circumstances” such as extreme weather.
The Court of Appeal ruled in June that technical problems must not be considered “extraordinary circumstances”, meaning compensation was still due.
Jet2, the airline involved in the case, appealed to the Supreme Court.
The court is due to decide next month whether to grant the appeal, in which case a full hearing will take place next year. It could take until the end of 2015 to reach a decision.
An easyJet spokesman said it had put all claims on hold until it was clearer whether the case would be heard by the Supreme Court.