UK authorities have asked Wizz Air to review passenger compensation claims as early as 2022!
The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has taken unprecedented action against Wizz Air following complaints by passengers whose compensation claims were refused by the airline despite being entitled to compensation of up to €600 according to EU law261.
The CAA said it had ordered Wizz Air to review a string of claims made since March 18, 2022, meaning passengers whose claims were wrongly rejected "will now receive the money they are legally entitled to". . Passengers whose flights were canceled before 2022 can also ask for their requests to be reconsidered by the company, going back up to six years.
The CAA said it was "concerned" about the number of complaints from customers who say Wizz Air failed to fulfill its legal obligations to ensure they reached their destination after a flight was cancelled.
Under EU legislation261, airlines are required to provide rerouting and accommodation services and assistance to ensure that customers are not stranded at airports.
Paul Smith, acting chief executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, described Wizz Air's treatment of passengers as "unacceptable".
"Passengers have every right to expect that their complaints and grievances will be dealt with quickly and efficiently and dealt with fairly by airlines in accordance with regulations. We have clearly conveyed to Wizz Air that the way it treated passengers is unacceptable," he added.
In December 2022, the CAA expressed "significant concerns" to Wizz Air about the high volume of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) complaints and delays in paying compensation to passengers, being named the worst airline for the number of complaints to ADR schemes.
A Sunday Times investigation then found that Wizz Air still owes around £5m in unpaid compensation claims, with 881 court orders pending.
"The CAA should be ready to quickly take Wizz Air to court if they continue to break the law."
Responding to the CAA action, Marion Geoffrey, Managing Director at Wizz Air, said: “Last summer, like all airlines in Europe, Wizz Air faced unprecedented operational challenges, mainly driven by the external environment, including ATC strikes, airport constraints and staff shortages. As a result, we have not been able to meet our own high service standards. Flights were delayed or canceled too often. Handling disruptions required internal and external resources, and processing and payment of refund / compensation claims took too long."
Perhaps the authorities in Romania could also take these measures, taking into account that Wizz Air records flight cancellations and delays every day. Air passenger rights in case of canceled / delayed flights must be respected without compromise!