Mumbai: After initially expressing “regret” and refusing to accept any liability, Air India has relented and paid a compensation of €600 each to several passengers for the delay in its London to Mumbai flight on May 28. Engineering issues had been blamed for the over two-day delay.
The compensation was paid as per European Union regulations. It is a significant development, as in India, only a small percentage of aggrieved passengers seek compensation. Under the Indian aviation regulator’s norms, airlines are bound to compensate passengers for flight cancellations or denied boarding, but most passengers don’t claim the relief, and the Indian airline industry saves about $100 million in unpaid compensation annually, aviation sector experts said.
Under EU regulation 261/ 2004, passengers aboard any flight originating from Europe are entitled to a compensation of up to €600 if their flight lands at the scheduled destination more than three hours late. AI gave each passenger a letter stating that the flight was delayed due to technical reasons and it was aware of its obligation under the above-mentioned EU regulation. But later, in a “final reply” to some passengers, AI offered its apologies and nothing more, blaming the delay on “extraordinary circumstances”.
However, technical defect with aircraft does not qualify as an extraordinary circumstance.
03/12/19 Times of India
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The compensation was paid as per European Union regulations. It is a significant development, as in India, only a small percentage of aggrieved passengers seek compensation. Under the Indian aviation regulator’s norms, airlines are bound to compensate passengers for flight cancellations or denied boarding, but most passengers don’t claim the relief, and the Indian airline industry saves about $100 million in unpaid compensation annually, aviation sector experts said.
Under EU regulation 261/ 2004, passengers aboard any flight originating from Europe are entitled to a compensation of up to €600 if their flight lands at the scheduled destination more than three hours late. AI gave each passenger a letter stating that the flight was delayed due to technical reasons and it was aware of its obligation under the above-mentioned EU regulation. But later, in a “final reply” to some passengers, AI offered its apologies and nothing more, blaming the delay on “extraordinary circumstances”.
However, technical defect with aircraft does not qualify as an extraordinary circumstance.
03/12/19 Times of India
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