“The law is clear: airlines must refund cancelled flight tickets”, said European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean, on Wednesday 1 April, in response to concerns expressed by MEPs (see EUROPE 12458/10) about the respect of air passenger rights during this health crisis.
Some airlines are experiencing significant financial difficulties and have been forced to cancel most of their flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are not openly informing customers of their right to a full ticket refund. They just give them a voucher for another trip.
They are entitled to do so, the Commissioner stresses, but only “and this is very important”, if the client agrees.
As provided for in the EU regulation on air passenger rights (261/2004), “if the customer does not want a 'voucher' or other proposed solution, the company must reimburse”, insists Vălean.
No national solutions. Dutch Infrastructure Minister Cora Van Nieuwenhuizen, for her part, said on Monday 30 March that Dutch airlines that do not have enough cash to cover all the tickets refunded would not be obliged to refund cancelled flights.
“The Commission calls on Member States not to go for national solutions,” said a Commission spokesperson, adding that the Commission is consulting stakeholders and national authorities in order to implement a coordinated solution that protects consumers and supports businesses.
“We are in the process of assessing the liquidity needs of the companies to make these repayments, to see how significant these amounts are and if it is necessary to take measures in this matter”, the Commissioner said. “But in the meantime, the law is clear”, she repeated. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)