MEPs vote to improve compensation for stranded air passengers

The European Parliament has voted to improve the way air passengers can receive monetary compensation and assistance following flight disruptions.

Today's vote follows legislation brought in in 2004 which was supposed to strengthen air passenger rights.

However some MEPs said the rules were not implemented properly and passengers found it hard to be compensated.

Jim Higgins MEP says the new rights set out compensation where there are delays of more than three hours.

"You can have, if you like, situations like we had for example with the ash cloud from Iceland and so on - but by and large, unless you get the kind of unseasonable weather we're experiencing at present most flights fly," he said.

"And if they don't fly, well then the passenger isn't the one who should suffer.

"The airlines are there to provide a service; what we're doing is we're providing a reassurance - if you like, it's an insurance policy - for the passengers."