Irish Aviation Authority obtains E1m in refunds for passengers

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) last year obtained E1m in refunds and compensation for disgruntled air passengers, according to its 2023 annual report. Last year the aviation watchdog handled 4,969 complaints about airlines withwith the bulk of them concerning long delays and cancellations. The IAA received 2,275 complaints over cancellations and 2,444 over long delays. The report said that E204,000 was obtained in refunds following IAA intervention and more than E794,000 in compensation was awarded to passengers in respect of the 1,155 upheld complaints. The E998,000 payout compares to the IAA’s predecessor, the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) obtaining E348,000 in refunds and compensation for air passengers in 2022. The 2023 report also pointed out that 1,797 complaints were not upheld in favour of the complainant “and the main reason was that the air carrier was able to prove that a disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances and therefore would be exempt from paying compensation”.<br/>