Regulations and Government
ECJ: Airlines Must Look After Delayed Passengers, Period
A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 waits at its gate at London Gatwick Airport. In a landmark decision, the European Court of Justice ruled last week that the airline must compensate a passenger for “care and assistance” during a week-long delay resulting from the Icelandic volcano of 2010.
A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 waits at its gate at London Gatwick Airport. In a landmark decision, the European Court of Justice ruled last week that the airline must compensate a passenger for “care and assistance” during a week-long delay resulting from the Icelandic volcano of 2010.

Europe’s highest court, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg, confirmed in a ruling last Thursday that airlines based in the EU carry liability for accommodation and other “necessary, appropriate and reasonable” costs incurred by passengers in the event of long delays, even for disruptions beyond their control.