Airline Presidents and Airport Directors who met yesterday in Barcelona at the Annual General Assembly of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA), expressed outrage at the failure of Europe’s politicians and regulators to act to provide financial compensation to the industry following the eruption of Mount Eyjafjallajoekull which caused widespread closure of airspace and cancellation of flights. Outraged at the lack of action by national governments across Europe to compensate airlines for the financial damages they incurred, for events totally beyond their control, ERA Airline and Airport Directors agreed to a course of action to recover financial damages through legal action.
Speaking at the General Assembly, Antonis Simigdalas, ERA President and Mike Ambrose ERA director general, said: “Europe’s politicians have sat on their hands for far too long on this issue, airlines have now lost patience and have been forced to seek alternative legal solutions to recover the additional costs they incurred.
“The events in April showed that air transport is an essential element of our society and it is now time for governments to recognise the value that air transport brings to the economy and the European communities it serves.”
In concluding a course of action, the Airline Presidents and Airport Directors instructed the ERA Directorate to explore any opportunity for instigating a class action to recover damages.