BRITISH Airways is facing a "substantial" bill for "badly drafted" European Union (EU) regulations coming into force this week, which demand that airlines compensate passengers for flight delays and cancellations
Published:
13 February 2005 y., Sunday
BRITISH Airways is facing a "substantial" bill for "badly drafted" European Union (EU) regulations coming into force this week, which demand that airlines compensate passengers for flight delays and cancellations.
From 17 February, passengers all over Europe will be able to demand compensation of up to E600 ($768, £414) if a flight of more than 3,500km is cancelled or overbooked, no matter what the reason. Plans for the new rules were first revealed by The Business three years ago.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has estimated its members are facing a yearly bill of E1.5bn in compensation payouts. Regional carriers could be knocked sideways by the requirement that they pay out for journeys that started on other continents.
BA director of government and industry affairs Andrew Cahn said: "A good piece of legislation has been turned into a bad piece by bad drafting. Cancellations affect airlines all the time because of factors outside their control such as weather and air traffic control. The cost to the airline will be substantial."
Cahn says fully implementing the regulations will be a challenge but will obey the law. The Department for Transport has told airlines they must comply. BA is hoping the EU will change its mind on the controversial rules but carriers may have to wait until the autumn, when legal challenges will be heard by the European Court of Justice.
Šaltinis:
thebusinessonline.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
European cities may still be feeling the pinch of the global recession.
more »
The EBRD Board of Directors has approved a $50 million convertible loan to Petrolinvest to finance the completion of exploration works at the company’s main oilfields.
more »
The European Commission welcomes the adoption today at the United Nations in Geneva of the first international regulation on safety of both fully electric and hybrid cars.
more »
Bloomberg has today announced that Lithuania had the outlook on its credit rating raised by Fitch Ratings after the Government implemented an austerity program to curb the budget deficit.
more »
In January 2010, compared with December 2009, the highest increase in retail trade in the EU-27 Member States was observed in Lithuania.
more »
Three thousand former car, refrigerator and construction workers in Germany and Lithuania will get €7.6 million in EU globalisation adjustment fund aid for training, self-employment and job guidance after Parliament gave the green light on Tuesday.
more »
Some 80% of Europeans continue to travel for their holidays according to a new Eurobarometer survey on ‘The attitudes of Europeans towards tourism 2010’.
more »
The EU's internal market will be under scrutiny Tuesday when a series of reports will be debated by MEPs in Strasbourg.
more »
EU Employment and Social Affairs Ministers today agreed on a new facility to provide loans to people who have lost their jobs and want to start or further develop their own small business.
more »
Over €7.6 million in financial aid for training and self-employment could be available to former workers in German and Lithuanian if MEPs back the measures Tuesday.
more »