Five major airlines ordered to pay flight delay compensation

Five major international airlines have lost their battle to avoid paying compensation to passengers for flight delays under European Union rules.

American, Etihad, Emirates, Singapore and Turkish Airlines all face enforcement after a review by the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) found them in breach of EU consumer laws.

The airlines confirmed to the CAA they do not pay compensation to passengers who had experienced a delay on the first leg of a flight that caused them to miss a connecting flight and, as a result, to arrive at their final destination over three hours late.

Emirates was found to have received the most complaints, the CAA said, while Singapore's policy was to put claims “on hold”.

CAA director of consumers and markets Richard Moriarty said , Director of Consumers and Markets at the CAA, said the airlines' first responsibility should be l”ooking after their passengers, not finding ways in which they can prevent passengers upholding their rights”.

"So it's disappointing to see a small number of airlines continuing to let a number of their passengers down by refusing to pay them the compensation they are entitled to,” he said in a statement.

"Where we see evidence of passengers systematically being denied their rights, we will not hesitate to take the necessary action to ensure airlines change their policies and their customers get the assistance they are entitled to.”

If the airline is found at fault for a delay of more than three hours on short haul flights passengers are entitled to compensation of €250; for medium haul €400 and for long haul €300 on delays of between three and four hours and €600 more than four hours.