EU air passenger rights not protected during pandemic, auditors say

European airline passenger rights, which include carriers’ legal obligation to pay refunds for cancelled flights, have not been safeguarded during the COVID-19 pandemic, an EU report released on Tuesday said. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) found that in virtually all cases airlines were able to sidestep rules requiring a cash refund for cancelled flights and offer customers vouchers for future journeys instead. The ECA, which looks after the interests of taxpayers in the 27-member European Union but does not have legal powers, said travel restrictions led to 7,000 air routes being closed in the European airport network after the pandemic began last year. Flight cancellations affected tens of millions of passengers across the bloc between March 2020 and March 2021, the ECA said. EU law grants consumers immediate cash refunds for cancelled flights, plus compensation for those scrapped with less than two weeks’ notice or for delays of over three hours. But the auditors found that 15 EU member states adopted exceptional measures to release airlines and package-tour operators from their legal obligation for refunds.<br/>