Brussels, 02/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - In an opinion delivered on Thursday 2 July, Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston says that the distinction between a delayed and a cancelled flight was worthy of in-depth investigation. She did not, however, suggest a time beyond which a delay automatically should become a cancellation: this was a matter for legislation, which is not within the exercise of the Court. In two different cases the Sturgeon family and the Böck-Lepuschitz family suffered delays of more than 20 hours on their return journeys from holiday. They were all of the view that this delay was a de facto cancellation of the flights, and claimed €600 per person in compensation from the airlines by virtue of Article 7 of regulation (EC) No261/2004. The Advocate General said that it was for national courts to examine the distinction, taking into account points such as the length of the delay and many others besides. She suggested, too, that the Court should re-open the oral procedure, and call on all stakeholders to consider whether such a distinction might infringe the principle of equality of treatment for passengers (joined cases C-402/07 and C-532/07). (C.D./transl.rt)