EU Pressures Airlines to Pay Ash Passenger Compensation

Kallas said no airline should gain a competitive advantage by ignoring customers' rights to a refund or care. Photo by BGNES

EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said "maximum pressure" would be put on airlines to pay passengers hit by the volcano ash disruption.

Kallas said no airline should gain a competitive advantage by ignoring customers' rights to a refund or care, the BBC reported.

He put the cost of the crisis to the aviation industry and tour operators at up to EUR 2.5 B.

He added that there might be a case for state aid to support airlines.

He described the ash, which cancelled 100 000 flights and left more than 10 million passengers unable to travel over a period of six days, as "exceptional".

Any payment of state aid to help airlines was down to agreement by member states, he added, but it must be done on a level playing field basis.

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