More airline passengers on UK domestic flights could receive compensation for delays and have simpler access to resolve claims under government proposals announced on Monday.
Passengers would have the right to a partial refund of their fare after a one-hour delay instead of the current three-hour minimum – rising to 50% after two and a full refund after waiting three hours.
However, the system could see many people receive less money than before. Under EU regulations, which Britain has retained after Brexit, passengers are entitled to at least a £220 payout after three hours’ delay.
The Department for Transport said that the new model, based on the way rail and ferry operators offer compensation for delays, would be a significant shift and fairer.
Budget airlines have argued that the levels of compensation often outstrip the fare. Airlines often do not pay compensation when delays are deemed beyond their control, for example due to extreme weather, security alerts or air traffic strikes.
The government may also force all airlines to be part of the aviation industry’s alternative dispute resolution [ADR] scheme, which allows passengers to escalate complaints if they feel they have not been settled, without recourse to legal action.
Currently membership is on a voluntary basis. Ryanair quit the scheme in 2019.
The UK’s aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, would also have increased powers to enforce consumer protection law and fine airlines directly for breaches.
Richard Moriarty, the CAA’s chief executive, said the consultation was “a clear indication of the need to enhance our enforcement powers, and bring us in line with other regulators”.
Airlines could also be made to pay full compensation to wheelchair or mobility scooter users for any damage caused to their device in flight. Current liability under the Montreal convention is capped at about £1,200, far below the potential cost of repairs or replacement.
The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said the proposals “aimed to bolster airline consumer protections and rights” and would “help build a trustworthy, reputable sector”.
Airlines UK, which represents a wide range of airlines including regional and domestic carriers, said it would “look forward to responding to the consultation [and] the sector’s eventual recovery from Covid”.
In a sign of the airline industry’s revival, easyJet said it expects to recruit 1,000 cadet pilots over the next five years and has relaunched its training programme. The airline is to focus on attracting diverse candidates – an advertising campaign features a parent, a former gymnast and a DJ who now work as easyJet pilots.
Only around 6% of pilots worldwide are women, although easyJet has doubled the number of female pilots in its ranks since starting a recruitment drive in schools in 2015.
Johan Lundgren, the airline’s chief executive, said: “Whilst we have made progress, there is still work to do. Increasing diversity in all of its forms in the flight deck is a long-term focus for easyJet and so we will continue to ensure we lead the industry on this issue.”
Both easyJet and British Airways are also looking to recruit thousands of cabin crew for summer 2022. EasyJet said in November it would need about 1,500 seasonal crew. BA said in October it would look to rehire former staff as it ramps up operations for a new Gatwick subsidiary, after laying off thousands of crew at the start of the pandemic.