Airlines complain to European Union about passenger compensation
Airlines including British Airways and Ryanair have today complained to the European Union regarding draconian measures which the authorities are looking to use to ensure that airlines reimburse passenger accommodation costs as well as the cost of the travel tickets for those affected by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud.
This has further inflamed a situation which was on the verge of anarchy with the airlines already demanded compensation for loss of earnings and additional costs incurred when a lockdown of the European airspace was enacted. Already we have seen Ryanair blatantly confirming point-blank that the company will not reimburse passengers for accommodation costs and will only reimburse them for the cost of their tickets.
It is difficult to see how the European Union can expect airlines around the world to foot the bill for accommodation for passengers stranded through no fault of the airlines themselves. However, there are specific rules within the European Union which can be translated into effectively passing the cost of accommodation to the airlines in question. When you consider the difficult financial position of the sector, as well as individual airlines themselves, it is difficult to see how the European Union could effectively pass the buck to a wounded animal.
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