Dubai: Etihad Airways hit back at the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Thursday for being ‘unprofessional and unacceptable’ on the issue of non-payment of passenger compensation over delayed flights.
The aviation authority announced on Wednesday that it is taking enforcement action against the Abu Dhabi-based carrier and several other airlines including American Airlines, Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines for breaching consumer law.
The CAA said the airlines failed to compensate thousands of their passengers who have experienced a long delay as a result of missing a connecting flight. Under the European Union law, carriers are obliged to compensate passengers of long-haul flights if they reach their destination more than three hours late.
"Over 200,000 passengers each year travelling on these airlines could be at risk of missing their onward connection and thereby being delayed by over three hours at their final destination," the CAA said.
"Delays that cause people to miss connecting flights have a particularly damaging effect on people's travel plans. That's why there are clear laws in place to make sure passengers are looked after by the airline and compensated," said Richard Moriarty, director of consumers and markets at the CAA.
Emirates has yet to respond to Gulf News' query.
A spokesperson at Etihad denied the allegations, citing that the airline has not violated the consumer law. The airline has also had talks with the British authorities regarding the issue on passenger compensation for several months.
“We take such matters very seriously and in no way look to breach the law. Therefore, before even completing the dialogue, we find the CAA’s approach wholly ‘unprofessional and unacceptable’ to publicly blame Etihad Airways for infringements to passengers’ rights which we unreservedly deny,” the spokesperson said.
The airline assured it will continue to maintain dialogue with the CAA and regulators to ensure “we continue to have robust compensation policies in place.”
The European Union has a consumer legislation in aviation, called (EC)261/2004, which provides that consumers are entitled to monetary benefits in the event that they are denied boarding or their flight is cancelled or delayed.
“Under the regulation, passengers are legally entitled to compensation if they arrive at their final destination more than three hours late – including if they were booked on a connecting flight – and the delay was not outside of the airline’s control,” the CAA said.
The authority maintained that the rights apply to any flight leaving an airport in the European Union, regardless of where the airline is based at.
However, the provision is currently under dispute.
“The issue of a non EU airlines' liability under EC261 for a delay due to a missed connecting flight outside of the EU is currently subject to a case that will be heard by the UK Court of Appeal. Etihad Airways will, of course, abide by any decision of the Court of Appeal," the airline's spokesperson said.
For more information on passenger compensation rights over delayed flights and cancellations, check out this quick guide from Gulf News.
Passengers on delayed flights leaving EU, which miss connections outside the EU, are entitled to compensation https://t.co/6RK2IEa1i3
— UK CAA (@UK_CAA) February 22, 2017
