Spain planning to have Gibraltar suspended from EU aviation regulations

(Photo: spanishvida.com)

GIBRALTAR / MADRID Last Wednesday the European Commission announced its proposals to amend its Regulation 261/2004 regarding passenger rights, whereby existing rights would be substantially expanded. Gibraltar would be significantly impacted if the Spanish Government manages to have the removal of the suspension clause - this is one of the few directives that still has such a clause, according to L. Olivera on Panorama, but the proposal does not seek to remove the suspension clause. Should these proposals be approved in Brussels, the new regulations will come into effect in 2014. Gibraltar Government has responded angrily to the proposal because it is in line with the present Spanish Government's intentions of dismantling the Cordoba Agreement, which included the Rock's airport in the measures to be taken on European Civil Aviation, according to one source. The new regulations would include>>>

having to compensate air passengers for delays of five hours instead of the present three.

Rules about communication with delayed passengers would also be changed, including those relating to these not getting proper and correct information as to the reasons for delays, or leaving them on board an aircraft and sitting on the tarmac without air-conditioning. (Has this happened to you? Let us know.)

Other rules due for change are about replies and information to complaints and lost luggage, as well as being charged what are largely considered outrageous amounts for small, insignificant mistakes on boarding passes, or bookings.

It is believed that most of the changes will impinge mainly on low cost airlines.