Over the past two years, European airlines have been required to pay passengers whose flights were cancelled up to €600 per person for moral damages. However, the European Commission considers that passengers are not always aware of their rights, and thousands of them have stated that they have not received any compensation from the airlines.
The European Commission has threatened airlines with sanctions if the law on passenger compensation is not complied with in the near future. The Commission also intends to appoint representatives who will monitor the situation at European airports over the next six months. 'We must ensure that airlines from all EU member states fulfill their obligations,' said EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot.
A special report prepared for the European Commission says that often passengers whose flights were delayed by 30 hours or more received too little compensation, which is provided for much shorter delays. The report also states that different airlines interpret the concept of 'extraordinary circumstances' differently, allowing them to delay or cancel flights without offering any compensation to passengers. According to European Commission officials, the number of complaints from passengers who have not received proper compensation is continuously growing. Meanwhile, those passengers who have been promised compensation complain that they are made to wait too long.
In the near future, the EU authorities also intend to review the situation regarding rail and maritime passengers. Therefore, as officials believe, it is especially important to first bring order to civil aviation. The European Commission also does not rule out the possibility of amending existing legislation. The fines imposed on airlines for non-compliance with the compensation law vary. In one European country they may be as little as €125, while in another they may exceed four million.