Friday, October 13, 2023
In a recent development, several airlines have been ordered to pay a staggering £11,461,101 by courts and adjudicators, with the lion’s share attributed to Wizz Air, accounting for over 40% of the total amount.
This revelation comes as a result of extensive investigations conducted by a reputed magazine. The analysis considered six major carriers, including British Airways (BA), easyJet, Ryanair, Tui, and Wizz Air, all of which faced numerous complaints filed with adjudication schemes. Additionally, thousands of court judgments remained classified as ‘outstanding.’
Many of these judgments were presumably related to flight cancellations or delays during the spring and summer of 2022, where passengers had not received compensation or expenses owed. Despite carrying significantly fewer UK passengers than industry giants like BA, easyJet, and Ryanair, Wizz Air’s responsibility for a substantial portion of the £11 million figure is notable. This amount encompasses county court judgments (CCJs) listed as ‘outstanding’ and rulings against the airline, administered by the AviationADR adjudication scheme between April 2022 and March 2023.
In response to these mounting concerns, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) initiated enforcement action against Wizz Air in July. The airline subsequently pledged to reopen expenses claims dating back to March the previous year, with a deadline set for resolution by 30th September.
It’s worth noting that the number of county court judgments against Wizz Air has been steadily increasing. Initially, it was reported that the airline had 1,601 ‘outstanding’ CCJs, with a combined value exceeding £2 million. However, recent data reveals that this figure has risen to a staggering 2,587 ‘outstanding’ judgments, amounting to £3,197,105. Wizz Air contends that it has already resolved 86% of these CCJs, and the remaining judgments have been erroneously classified as unpaid.
Among the major airlines examined, only Tui saw an increase in CCJs since March, with 1,359 judgments listed as ‘outstanding,’ totaling £1,558,145. This situation underscores the ongoing challenges in the aviation industry regarding passenger compensation and highlights the need for improved customer service and dispute resolution processes.
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Saturday, April 27, 2024
