The Court of Justice of the European Communities handed down two rulings, on 22 December 2008 and 19 November 2009 respectively, giving very restrictive interpretations of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004⁽¹⁾, which deals inter alia with the issues of cancelled flights, delays and overbooking.

 

These rulings are very important to consumers, given that the Court:

 

- regards flight delays of more than three hours as equivalent to cancellations, which means that financial compensation must be given;

 

- refuses to regard technical defects systematically as ‘extraordinary circumstances’.

 

Can the Commission say how and by when it plans to compel the airlines to apply this very consumer-friendly interpretation?    

Associated media

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