Air passengers will not be entitled to compensation if their flight is canceled due to a shortage of kerosene, according to guidelines adopted this Friday by the European Commission, which prohibit the application of additional fees to tickets.
The community executive considered, according to a which “a local fuel shortage” falls into the category of extraordinary circumstances that exempt air carriers from compensating customers, but held that “high fuel prices should not be considered to constitute an extraordinary circumstance.”.
“Lack of fuel yes, high prices no”, summarized, at the daily press conference, the spokeswoman for the Energy Commission, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, reiterating that there is still “no evidence that there will be a shortage of jet fuel”.
On the other hand, Brussels clarified that “it is not permitted to charge additional fees retroactively, such as fuel surcharges”, with the exception of package holidays (package trips), “as long as this is provided for in the contract and only in specific circumstances”.
With this guidance, Brussels wants to guarantee transparency in air fare prices, requiring companies to present the final ticket price upon departure and ensuring that passengers are not faced with unexpected additional costs later.
Conversely, to help avoid closing certain routes, Airlines may be exempt from the 90% fuel uplift rule, a process that monitors the remaining fuel and adds what is necessary for the trip, reserves and contingencies, avoiding excesses that increase weight and consumption, which applies when safety rules require the transport of extra fuel from the departure airport.
In relation to airport slots (‘slots’)Brussels considers that airlines may be exempt from the usual obligations to use landing and take-off slots due to fuel supply problems at airports, and will not be penalized for not using the slots allocated to them.
Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for the global trade in fossil fuels, since February 28, the date on which the United States and Israel began a war against the Islamic Republic that has already left thousands dead, especially in its territory and that of Lebanon, and shook the world economy, notably causing fuel prices to soar.
Washington, in turn, maintains the blockade of Iranian ports, imposed on April 13, five days after a ceasefire came into force.
