Irish airlines silent in face of compensation threat

Irish airlines remained tight-lipped yesterday after a decision by the EU’s top court threw up a potential multimillion euro compensation claim threat.

The fresh EU Court of Justice ruling has beefed up air passenger rights and allows employers of business travellers, who have been left in the lurch by delayed flights, to claim compensation from airlines.

Air carriers can’t avoid paying for losses suffered by employers, the EU Court of Justice said in a binding judgment yesterday morning, referring to the Montreal Convention, an international treaty that covers air travel.