A Paris court rejected El Al’s appeal which was premised on the company maintaining it pays compensation to travelers in line with Israeli law. The question before the court was if passengers on a flight which was late in taking off from Europe are entitled to compensatory payment as is the case with other passengers under European law. El Al challenged the right of passengers to be compensated, insisting it was acting in line with Israeli law.
According to the Globe’s Finance report, El Al’s position that it acts in line with Israeli law is unacceptable, and therefore, the airline is required to pay a passenger who filed a lawsuit for the plane taking off late. A French court ordered El Al to pay the passengers €400, and the airline decided to appeal the ruling, which it law, and now, the airline must make an additional payment for legal expenses, amounting to €3,000.
One can expect additional lawsuits against El Al as the French court has invited other passengers to sue El Al in French courts and not in an Israeli venue.
Globe’s quotes El Al responding, “El Al has received the ruling made by the court in France and is studying it. El Al acts according to the law.”
European law demands payment in the amounts of €250, €400, or €600 if a flight is delayed by three or more hours, depending on the flight distance. French courts explain this law applies to El Al flights taking off from Europe as well.
Israeli law however differs, as a passenger can receive compensation in the amount of NIS 1,300 to NIS 3,080 according to flight distance, but it applies only to delays of eight hours or more.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Not taking sides in this dispute , but usually law of land where the issue arose dictates the ruling. Therefore there is no difference which airline is involved , the rule of the land where the delay occurred should be the law to follow.
This is in line with U.S. rules which requires foreign flag carriers to comply with FAA compensation schedules for delayed/cancelled flights taking off from the U.S.
That United aeroplane which landed in Goose Bay last week to deposit a sick passenger:- Is the delay thereafter compensated under USA law since flight had originated in USA? under Canada law as now stuck in Canada? or no compensation as this delay is after original takeoff?
Do they penalize all airlines for late takeoffs? I’ll be a rich man if that is the case.