On Saturday, a flight from Ibiza to Eelde delayed due to strikes in France had to land at Schiphol instead. What rights do the 70 passengers have now?
The delay was no fault of the airport or the airline, but the Eelde-bound flight departed nearly two hours late and passengers were informed as the aircraft was landing that they had been redirected to Schiphol. The flight was unable to land at Eelde because regional airports are not allowed to remain open past 11 p.m. or midnight at the very latest by law.
According to Dagblad van het Noorden, around 70 passengers were transported from Amsterdam to Eelde on a party bus. But the remaining travelers were left to figure out how to get home on their home: one family that took a taxi from Schiphol wound up paying 630 euros for the trip.
Evelien Kregting, a representative of EU Claim, tells Dagblad van het Noorden that the passengers may be eligible for compensation on certain grounds. If a flight arrives more than three hours later than scheduled at its final destination, then passengers should quality for compensation. How much money each passenger receives Is based on the distance that the flight travelled.
Despite meeting that criteria, the Ibiza flight’s passengers are unlikely to see money for the flight itself. Because it was delayed due to a strike in France, the airline operating the flight had no control over the situation. If employees of an airline operating a flight go on strike, then the passengers are entitled to compensation. However, passengers who took taxis home due to a lack of room on the bus may be able to have those costs covered.
