LONDON – Britain ruled today that British Airways and Irish carrier Ryanair are not obliged to refund customers whose flights were cancelled because of the pandemic.
The Competition and Markets Authority regulator added in a statement that it had closed its probe into both airlines after finding the law unclear.
“The CMA has concluded that the law does not provide passengers with a sufficiently clear right to a refund in these unusual circumstances to justify continuing with the case,” it said.
The watchdog had in June launched its investigation into whether the two airlines had broken the law in failing to offer refunds for flights that could not be taken during lockdown.
“Consumer protection law sets out that passengers are entitled to refunds when an airline cancels a flight, because the firm cannot provide its contracted services,” the CMA added today.
“However, it does not clearly cover whether people should be refunded when their flight goes ahead but they are legally prohibited from taking it.”
The regulator added it would not pursue its investigation because it would take a long period of time in the courts to reach an “uncertain outcome”.
Both airlines welcomed the watchdog’s decision.
However, Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, described the outcome as “disappointing”.
“It’s hugely unfair that passengers have been left to shoulder the bill for following the law and protecting public health by staying home, while British Airways and Ryanair have been allowed to hold onto their cash for flights people couldn’t legally take.”
Aircraft were grounded worldwide as a result of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, devastating demand for air travel and sparking thousands of job cuts across the sector. – AFP, October 7, 2021
