Bird strike may excuse airlines from paying for delays-EU court

Airlines might not have to pay compensation for flight delays if an aircraft is held up as a result of a bird strike, Europe's top court said Thursday, calling such an event an "extraordinary circumstance". The case was brought to the European Court of Justice after a complaint by Czech passengers who argued they should have been paid compensation under EU rules when their plane was more than 5 hours late because of a bird strike. A4E welcomed the ruling, saying bird strikes were beyond airlines' control, much as weather conditions or ash clouds are. A4E MD Thomas Reynaert also called on the EU council to review EU air passenger rights legislation to make the rules clearer and to clarify the definition of extraordinary circumstances. <br/>