Airlines must pay compensation for flight delays

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   Airlines must pay compensation for flight delays
   

Airlines could be forced to pay out thousands of pounds to passengers who are delayed for three hours or more, following an EU ruling today.








Passengers facing such delays have also been entitled to cash compensation of between €250 and €600 Photo: ALAMY






By Oliver Smith

11:22AM BST 23 Oct 2012


8 Comments







The European Court of Justice upheld a previous decision, made earlier this year, which entitled travellers to monetary compensation, unless the delay was caused by “extraordinary circumstances”.


Under current EU regulations, passengers flying to or from an EU, Swiss, Norwegian or Icelandic airport, or with an EU, Swiss, Norwegian or Icelandic-based airline, are entitled to meals and refreshments and free telephone calls or emails if their flight is delayed by three hours or more.


Passengers facing such delays have also been entitled to cash compensation of between €250 (£204) and €600 (£490), depending on the length of the flight, since November 2009. However, since August 2010, a legal challenge by British Airways, easyJet and other airlines has seen all claims in the UK put on hold.


That challenge now appears unlikely to succeed, and a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority said today’s ruling, which also confirmed that mechanical problems do not constitute “extraordinary circumstances”, could force carriers to reconsider hundreds of existing claims.



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