Brussels, 06/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - With more than 500 amendments submitted on the air passenger rights review by members of the Parliamentary transport committee (TRAN), the task facing rapporteur Georges Bach (EPP, Luxembourg), is going to be tough. TRAN chairman Brian Simpson (S&D, United Kingdom) summarised the situation, saying that some people loved the airlines, whilst others hated them. Given the daggers drawn by the MEPs to express their different points of view, the vote was postponed till the committee meeting of 19 December. Bach will therefore have more time to obtain balanced compromises between the interests of passengers and what is feasible for the airlines regard.
The compromises are expected to focus principally on the triggers, that is, the length of delay justifying compensation. The Commission wants this to be set at five hours for all flights less than 3,500 km, nine hours for flights of less than 6,000 km and twelve hours for flights more than 6,000 km. The rapporteur is proposing that they stick to three hours for short haul flights and five hours for longer flights but, given the number of amendments, these thresholds could still change.
Some MEPs would also like the amount of compensation to be in proportion to the price of the ticket, whilst others are recommending alignment with what is done on the railways. On the subject of hotel costs that airlines may have to assume in the event of delays or cancelled flights, a variety of different amounts was proposed in the MEPs' amendments. Given the significant variation on the subject, the rapporteur said that a compromise would also need to be found.
Exceptional circumstances that justify airlines being exempt from compensation are also a subject of debate among MEPs. The rapporteur is suggesting a very comprehensive list of circumstances that MEPs could annex and which the Commission would be able to amend by delegated act.
The rapporteur is opposed to the “no-show” policy that the Commission approved. This occurs when an airline refuses to take someone on board a return flight if they have not used their out bound ticket. A significant number of MEPs also oppose this as well.
Finally, MEPs are expected to strengthen the Commission proposal on airline insolvency and the rapporteur intends to make the regulation on this subject “binding”. (MD/transl.fl)