A landmark legal case against British Airways and easyJet over flight delays may lead to compensation payments to millions of passengers.
According to telegraph.co.uk, the two airlines are facing a lawsuit in the High Court over demands to automatically compensate passengers for significant flight delays or cancellations.
The two carriers are allegedly battling to throw out the case, which may set a legal precedent forcing airlines to pay out hundreds of millions of pounds to passengers over delayed flights.
The airlines will argue the case in a two-day court hearing this week (July 8-12) and say that the lawsuit is misconceived and part of a ploy by lawyers to profit from passengers, according to telegraph.co.uk.
Passengers are currently entitled to up to £520 (R12 030) in compensation if their flights are delayed by more than three hours, however they need to submit a claim to the airline to receive the reimbursement.
The lack of reimbursement claims has raised concerns that travellers are not being made aware of their rights by airlines.
The lawsuit could lead to an overhaul in how passengers are reimbursed for flight disruptions, opening the door for refunds and compensation being airline-driven rather than passenger driven.
Furthermore, the lawsuit is reviving discussions about chronic travel disruptions due to staff shortages and a lack of air traffic control, all of which have triggered significant delays and cancellations since the pandemic.
Lawyers have identified up to 100 000 flights that were either delayed or cancelled since 2016, potentially landing BA and easyJet with a damages bill of at least £100 million (R2,3 billion).
If successful, the case could pave the way for vast payouts across the industry, raising the stakes for airlines worst hit by delays and cancellations, reports telegraph.co.uk.
