Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2014-02-05-Speech-3-041-000"
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"en.20140205.5.3-041-000"2
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"Mr President, I would firstly like to congratulate our rapporteur and the shadow rapporteurs for an excellent report, and also the Commission for actually addressing this issue.
It would, however, be useful at this point to ask why this revision of Regulation (EU) No 261/2004 is necessary. It is necessary because the present regulation is being abused by airlines, and they are being assisted in that abuse by national regulators who have completely abdicated their responsibilities and encouraged, through non-action, the airlines to drive a coach and horses through this legislation.
This report will put an end to this type of ‘happy time’ that the airlines have enjoyed up to now. Only 2% of passengers affected by cancellation or delay have received compensation – a paltry, derisory 2%. Why? Because the airlines claim that every delay or cancellation is due to force majeure or extraordinary circumstances, and if you challenge that view you are told ‘we will see you in court’. This report will severely restrict this loophole by making clear that technical problems are not force majeure. I say to the airlines today that if their aircraft breaks down, then that is their responsibility; and if that means that passengers are severely delayed or their flights are cancelled, then airlines should pay up and accept their responsibilities.
No doubt some airlines will be scurrying around now trying to find new loopholes rather than pay up to the long-suffering passengers. I say to this Parliament today, and to the aviation industry out there, that this regulation and report is about passenger rights – not airline rights – and should be supported by the whole House.
Finally, can I thank Monarch Airlines for showing me in practical terms why this regulation had to be amended and the loopholes closed. After a dreadful experience coming back a mere 26 hours late from Tenerife in August 2012, the compensation offered to the passengers on that flight was a big, fat zero."@en1
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