Industry Reacts to European Union´s Airline Ruling

European low-cost carriers and an airline organization are reacting to Tuesday´s ruling by the European Court of Justice that air passengers should be compensated if flights are delayed or cancelled.

Germany´s low-cost carrier Air Berlin told German newspaper Die Welt newspaper it will take legal steps against the ruling.

“We will defend ourselves with all legal means,” Air Berlin spokesman Peter Hauptvogel told the paper. The spokesman for Europe´s third largest low-cost airline added he expects national courts to deviate from the ruling.

From February, European airlines will have to pay passengers compensation if they are bumped from a flight or a flight is cancelled. Airlines are also required to provide food if flights are delayed by over two hours.

That rules were unfair to no-frills carriers because compensation could be worth more than the costs of tickets, the European Low Fares Airline Association had argued.

Meanwhile, a European court has rejected an international airline association complaint about a new passenger rights policy in the European Union, United Press International reported.

The International Air Travel Association asked the European Court of Justice to overturn the European Union´s decision to force carriers to increase compensation to passengers whose flights get canceled.