Airlines said on Sunday they are ready to avoid a repeat of last year’s travel chaos, but warned that some flights could still be disrupted by controller strikes and hit out at schemes that force them to pay compensation for unavoidable delays.
Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, (IATA), said in an interview that they are confident that they will be able to get through this peak summer without too much disruption. Rising numbers of disputes between travellers and airlines globally have led to calls for passenger compensation, and legislation is under review in Canada, the U.S. government is writing new rules and the European Union is pushing for stronger enforcement of its existing “Regulation 261”.
Some passenger groups have accused airlines of skirting compensation by invoking an exemption for exceptional circumstances. Airlines have reported strong bookings for this summer as air traffic returns towards pre-COVID levels.
Eurocontrol warned late last year that 2023 could be the most challenging year of the last decade due to the Ukraine conflict, possible strikes, rising numbers of aircraft, and the reopening of Asian markets.