London - Airline passengers whose flights are delayed will get fewer rights under new proposals from the European Commission.
Rules likely to take effect next year will make it harder to claim compensation, cap the airlines' duty of care and exempt airlines flying small planes on short routes from any liability.
At present, any departure delay of three hours or more is counted as a cancellation, entitling passengers to cash compensation of hundreds of pounds - unless the airline is able to demonstrate that the cause was “extraordinary circumstances”.
The trigger point is to be increased to five hours for flights under 2,175 miles; nine hours for trips up to 3,730 miles; and 12 hours for longer flights.
The commission said the aim is “to give the air carriers a reasonable time to solve the problem and encourage them to operate the flight, not just cancel it”.
Those on planes with fewer than 80 seats, flying less than 155 miles, will lose any entitlement if a flight is delayed. - The Independent