In 2013 the European Commission proposed the revision of the current Regulation 261/2004. Since then the European Parliament has formulated its position, however, progress in the Council has been delayed. The EU Transport Ministers will discuss and conclude the work of the Latvian Presidency at their meeting on 11 June.
The existing regulation has a significant number of serious shortcomings. This piece of regulation has been challenged by both airlines and passengers, with an exceptional number of cases having been referred to the European Court of Justice for clarification. To have a flawless, transparent and fair regulation is in the interest of both the airline and the passenger. Furthermore, extraordinary circumstances such as the volcanic ash crisis in 2010, severe weather conditions and air traffic controllers’ strikes, are outside of the airlines’ control and should therefore limit the liability of airlines.
AEA’s CEO Athar Husain Khan: “We need a balanced regulation that provides clarity about the rights of air passengers and does not put extra burden on airlines and also introduces shared liability among the stakeholders of the value chain. Any further delay would have detrimental financial consequences on airlines and would be certainly harmful for passengers. We therefore urge the European Council and the forthcoming Presidency of Luxembourg to continue the work on this important file that allows for clarity and protection for both airlines and passengers.”
10 June 2015
