Which? Urges Action as Airlines Fail to Respect Passenger Rights

UK-based consumer rights advocate Which? is calling for immediate legislation that will enable the penalization of airline companies which have run up 11 million pounds in court judgments and passenger adjudication rulings.

More specifically, Which? is urging UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to commit to legislation that will put an end to “an ongoing cycle of poor behavior by airlines which know that they can bend the rules without fear of penalty”.

According to the association’s data analysis for the 12 months to March 2023, five of the six airlines examined were collectively ordered to pay 11.4 million pounds, much of which to passengers for unpaid expenses, refunds or compensation.

According to Which?, the value for of “outstanding” county court judgements for British Airways in the period under review has reached 85,878 pounds, easyJet (387,015 pounds), Jet2 (3,258 pounds), Ryanair (191,460 pounds), TUI (1,558,145 pounds), and Wizz Air (3,197,105 pounds).

Which? said these figures highlight a “serious, systemic problem in the aviation industry, whereby a combination of weak regulation and a patchy dispute resolution system means airlines feel emboldened to disregard passenger rights”.

Legislation should allow the Civil Aviation Authority to directly fine airlines found violating customer rights, said the group.

Photo © European Union – EP

“The scale of court judgments and adjudication decisions piling up against major airlines shows how urgently reform is needed. The cycle of poor treatment of passengers and no serious consequences is only likely to continue without intervention,” said Which? Travel Editor Rory Boland.

“Consumers need an aviation regulator with effective powers – including the ability to fine operators – and a mandatory ombudsman to ensure airlines are held to account when they break the law and that passenger complaints are dealt with fairly,” he added.