The coronavirus crisis grounded flights across the world this spring, leaving thousands of travellers out of pocket.
In many European countries, airlines have violated EU legislation, which states that in case of cancellation, the passenger must be offered either a new route, or a refund (which can also be in the form of a credit for a future trip, but only with the agreement of the consumer). The EU has now stepped up matters for airlines flouting this rule. The European Commission has sent a formal notice to several countries, asking them to enforce European regulations. In addition to France, the Commission has sent a letter of formal notice to the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia.
A response is expected within two months, with the member states required to take action to remedy these shortcomings.
According to the International Air Transport Association (Iata), the number of cancelled tickets equates to around 10 billion dollars in Europe, and 35 billion dollars worldwide.
