Emirates (EK, Dubai International) has hit back at the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) over claims it denied compensation to delayed passengers, saying that the CAA's handling of the matter has been unprofessional, reports The Gulf News.
As recently reported, the CAA has begun enforcement action against Emirates as well as American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth), Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International), Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi) and Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport) for denying passengers compensation for delayed flights which originated in the European Union (EU). Emirates had been singled out as having the most complaints for non-payment of compensation for connecting flights.
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. Emirates currently has a case before the UK Court of Appeal to clarify whether flights from the UK with a stopover in Dubai count under the EU regulation.
"We will rigorously defend our position, and challenge the blanket application of EC 261 to every situation, without consideration of context or the safety of our passengers. Emirates, like any responsible airline, puts the safety of our passengers first and to be penalised for this is absurd," the airline said in a statement.
Etihad has also come out against the CAA, saying that publicly blaming airlines before a dispute resolution is "wholly unprofessional and unacceptable."