European officials again rule in favour of air travellers

Passengers that are stranded by bad weather and geological phenomenon are entitled to compensation, the EC has ruled.

Travel Insurance News - 04/02/2013

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Air travellers that are stranded by bad weather and geological phenomenon are entitled to compensation from carriers, the EC has ruled.

The announcement from the European Court of Justice last week is the second time that it has sided with the travelling public in recent months. Last autumn, the court said that passengers stranded for more than three hours as a result of technical difficulties were entitled to compensation from airlines.

The move relates specifically to the grounding of thousands of flights in April of 2010 due to the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull. Irish low-cost airline Ryanair has been battling a claim for £968 filed by passenger Denise McDonagh who was stranded at Dublin airport. McDonagh said the fee would cover the cost of meals, hotels and transport, but Ryanair and other airlines have sought a ruling that the event should be considered “extraordinary” by European officials.

But Ryanair and other airlines will now be required to fulfil such claims, the court said on Friday. An official statement said that the geological event did not free airlines from their “obligation to provide care” for customers.

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