CAA writes to BA about passengers' rights

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has written to British Airways to ensure that the airline has been complying with European legislation on passengers’ rights, it said tonight.

“We wrote to them yesterday and will be contacting them as a matter of urgency next week to ensure they are fulfilling the requirements of the legislation, that all passengers should be treated the same,” a spokesman said.

Passengers’ rights relate to provision of accommodation and other compensatory measures in the event of cancellations and delays.

A BA spokesman said: “We have not yet received the letter, but will respond to the CAA when we receive it.

“We don’t believe we have contravened any regulation.”

The BA spokesman also confirmed a report in tomorrow’s Sunday Telegraph that it is reviewing whether to delay the transfer of its long-haul operations at Heathrow from Terminal 4 to the new terminal at the end of next month.

He said: “We haven’t said we will alter the original plan, we may stick with the end of April, but obviously, in the light of what has happened in the last few days, it is prudent to review the situation.”