Airline executives call for new UK rules on passenger compensation (updated)

Nordic American Tankers

18/10/2023 11:52

(Adds comments from NATS chief executive in paragraphs 6-7)
    By Joanna Plucinska
       LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Airline executives on
Wednesday called on Britain to draft new rules to allow carriers
to share responsibility with air traffic control and airports
for any disruptions to flights so the burden of paying out
customers doesn't fall solely on them.
    "There has to be recourse for airlines ... We can't be the
insurer of last resort for everything that goes wrong in our
industry," Loganair Chief Executive Jonathan Hinkles told the
British parliament's transport committee.
    In August, an air traffic control glitch in Britain caused
thousands of flight cancellations and delays in and out of the
country, with the head of NATS, the national air traffic
controller, promising it wouldn't happen again.
    Airlines said they were left with the responsibility to pay
customers back for the disruption despite it not being their
fault.
    "At the moment, the airlines are taking the pain for it,"
easyJet  EZJ.L  Chief Commercial Officer Sophie Dekkers said,
while Ryanair  RYA.I  Chief Executive Michael O'Leary argued
NATS should repay airlines 15 million pounds ($18.3 million).
        NATS Chief Executive Martin Rolfe said he understood the
frustration of airlines but safety, not cost, was the air
traffic controller's priority.
  
    "NATS' primary purpose is to prioritize safety over all
other things ... We're not focused on cost, we're focused on
safely fixing and restoring traffic," Rolfe told the committee.
    Britain has rules similar to the European Union on passenger
compensation, which allow customers to claim up to 600 euros 
($634) for flight delays of three hours or longer.
    Airlines are in theory liable for delays they cause but
often they offer payouts to consumers for delays caused by other
factors too, like weather and air traffic control issues.
    
($1 = 0.8200 pounds)
        
($1 = 0.9461 euros)

 (Reporting by Joanna Plucinska)
 ((Joanna.Plucinska@thomsonreuters.com; 00447721669853; Reuters
Messaging: @joannaplucinska))