The United Kingdom's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced that it will be launching enforcement action against American Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines for denying passengers compensation for delayed flights which originated in the European Union (EU).

Under European regulations, passengers which depart any EU airport are entitled to compensation if their arrival at their final destination is delayed by more than three hours, including connecting flights, even if the airline itself is not European.

In the CAA's statement, they single out Emirates as having the most complaints for non-payment of compensation for connecting flights. It mentions that while Turkish Airlines gives their passengers access to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service, the remaining airlines do not.

"Airlines' first responsibility should be looking after their passengers, not finding ways in which they can prevent passengers upholding their rights," said Richard Moriarty, CAA Director of Consumers and Markets.

The CAA has at its disposal a number of enforcement tools, ranging from variations of approvals, through to license suspension and prosecution. This public announcement from the CAA marks the beginning of the resolution procedure, and airlines now have the opportunity to ensure they meet their regulatory requirements before enforcement actions are carried out.