Airlines must pay for delays due to crew and pilot illness
The Independent|July 11, 2024
UK airlines face paying out millions of pounds after the Supreme Court ruled crew sickness does not exempt them from cancellation compensation claims.
SIMON CALDER
Airlines must pay for delays due to crew and pilot illness

The case in question dates back to January 2018 when a couple, Kenneth and Linda Lipton, were booked to fly on a British Airways CityFlyer flight from Milan Linate airport to London City. The flight was cancelled because the pilot reported that he was unwell shortly before departure.

The Liptons were rebooked onto another flight and arrived at London City airport just over two and a half hours later than they expected. They put in a claim for statutory compensation of £220. BA CityFlyer refused to pay. The case has been taken to the highest court in the land for a definitive judgment.

The Supreme Court said in its judgment: “Although the sum at stake is small, the decision has the potential to affect tens of thousands of claims which are made annually under the applicable legislation.”

This story is from the July 11, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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This story is from the July 11, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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