Five major airlines have been found in breach of the consumer law which compels them to pay about 200,000 passengers compensation for their delayed flight to which they are legally entitled.
Five of these major airlines that are to pay compensation or be taken into court by CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) are as follows.
- American Airlines
- Emirates
- Etihad
- Singapore Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
CAA released a statement that they had been informed by the aforementioned all airlines that they had not paid the passengers any compensation when the delays caused passengers to miss their connecting flights.
Under the EU Law, passengers are entitled for certain compensation if they arrive three hours late to their destination and more so if they were booked for a connecting flight. The only relaxation of the law is that the delay was due to extraordinary circumstance. This EU Law is applicable to every airline despite the nationality of the airline and the destination of the certain flight.
CAA, citing its own data said that, Etihad had been the most complained airline to not have paid any compensation for the delayed connecting flight passengers.
Director of Consumers and Markets at CAA; Richard Moriarty said that, “the first responsibility of airlines is to look after their passengers. It is not that the airlines should find ways to prevent customers from having their legal rights. While any disruption to a flight is rather frustrating to passengers, the delays that result in passengers missing their connecting flights caused severe damage effects to their travelling plans. This is why there are laws in place to ensure that if passengers experience this sort of situation should be compensated by airline when the disruption was in control of airline”.
He further said that, “it is very disappointing to see a number of airline put down their passengers just because they are not willing to pay any compensation to them which they are legally entitled too.”
MR Moriarty further stated that CAA is going to take every possible measure to ensure that passengers get necessary assistance that they are legally entitled too and that the airlines change their previous policies.
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