These five major airlines have been told to pay flight delay compensation as thousands of passengers look to have missed out
Five airlines have been told they must cough up compensation to thousands of passengers for delays.
American, Emirates, Etihad, Singapore and Turkish Airlines have been told they have to obey European laws as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) estimated over 200,000 passengers each year could be entitled to compensation.
It has launched enforcement action against them today and the airlines could face court should they fail to pay compensation.
All five airlines had told the CAA that they didn't pay compensation to passengers who had experienced a delay on the first leg of a flight that caused them to miss a connecting flight, and as a result, arrived at their final destination over three hours late.
Read more: The world's most powerful airline brand might come as a surprise…
The CAA said the airlines had denied passengers compensation they are legally entitled to for delayed flights, breaching consumer law.
Under European rules, passengers are legally entitled to compensation if they arrive at the final destination of their journey more than three hours late, including if booked on a connecting flight, unless the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances. They apply to all flights departing an EU airport – irrespective of the airline's nationality.
The CAA said Singapore Airlines currently places compensation claims for these delays on hold.
Read more: The only direct flight between Heathrow and Barbados is launching this year
Richard Moriarty, director of consumers and markets at the CAA, said:
Airlines' first responsibility should be looking after their passengers, not finding ways in which they can prevent passengers upholding their rights.
So it's disappointing to see a small number of airlines continuing to let a number of their passengers down by refusing to pay them the compensation they are entitled to.
Where we see evidence of passengers systematically being denied their rights, we will not hesitate to take the necessary action to ensure airlines change their policies and their customers get the assistance they are entitled to.
Alex Neill, Which? managing director of home and legal services, said it was "appalling that some airlines believe they are above the law".
She added: "It should be much simpler for passengers to claim money for delays and the government must legislate for a new ombudsman that all airlines are required to join."
A spokesperson for Emirates said: "The way in which the CAA has communicated this issue is both misleading and unprofessional. As the CAA is well aware, the recent EU guidelines on EC 261 are not intended to amend the law.
"The issue of EC 261’s application to our flights from the UK involving a stopover in Dubai is currently pending before the Court of Appeal. We will rigorously defend our position, and challenge the blanket application of EC 261 to every situation, without consideration of context or the safety of our passengers. Emirates, like any responsible airline, puts the safety of our passengers first and to be penalised for this is absurd."