The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has mentioned that nearly £11 million was paid out between October 2024 and October 2025
British Airways, Wizz Air and Ryanair pay out tens of millions after first rejecting compensation (Picture: Getty)
Airways are being compelled to pay passengers tens of millions of kilos, after shopper teams accused them of attempting to place prospects off making claims for delays and cancellations. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has mentioned that nearly £11 million was paid out between October 2024 and October 2025 to prospects whose claims had been beforehand rejected by airways.
The vast majority of these got here from British Airways (BA), adopted by Wizz Air, Ryanair, and easyJet. BA paid £6.9million over claims that had been rejected or unresolved. The airline obtained 10,679 complaints over the 12 months, with 81% being upheld in favour of the client. In the identical interval, Wizz Air paid £1.7million, Ryanair paid £1.68million, and easyJet paid £371,000 in compensation to passengers. A minority of points are handled by smaller adjudicators. Airways UK, the affiliation which represents the airline trade, mentioned: “UK airways take their shopper obligations severely and at all times look to offer clear info and assist for his or her prospects in occasions of disruption.
EasyJet is among the many airways that paid prospects whose claimed they’d rejected (Picture: Getty)
“The newest Civil Aviation Authority Client Survey displays this dedication, displaying passenger satisfaction at its highest ranges since 2019.”
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Journey, mentioned: “It’s regarding, however not fully stunning, to see that some airways have tried to dodge tens of millions of kilos price of legitimate compensation claims.
“This displays a long-running sample of airways shrugging off the authorized rights of shoppers when the foundations are clear.
“Whereas it’s optimistic that unbiased adjudicators had been capable of step in and maintain the airways to account, shoppers mustn’t should go to those lengths merely to say the compensation they’re owed.
“The Civil Aviation Authority needs to be given stronger powers so it may well get robust with airways after they fail to adjust to shopper safety legal guidelines.”
Delays and cancellations are among the many claims made (Picture: Getty)
BA mentioned: “We function greater than 700 flights daily, with the overwhelming majority of those operating with out difficulty. Most delays and cancellations happen because of circumstances past our management, equivalent to poor climate or air site visitors management restrictions, however when points happen, we at all times do our greatest to make issues proper. The place prospects submit claims for compensation that meet the legislative necessities, our groups work very arduous to course of them as rapidly as attainable. Within the instances raised, our groups have reached out to our prospects to resolve the issues.”
Graeme Bowd, who runs a shopper group on Fb advising individuals on airline claims, informed the BBC that BA used “a number of inventory excuses”. However he mentioned: “After we try these excuses, we frequently discover they are not legitimate in any respect, nevertheless it’s very troublesome for unusual airline passengers to test for themselves.
“I believe the overall precept is that they do not count on everyone to say. For people who do, if they are often fobbed off and pissed off for lengthy sufficient, most of them will quit.”
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EasyJet mentioned: “Our focus is delivering a punctual and dependable service for the quarter of one million prospects we fly every day. If a flight is disrupted, we take our obligations severely and at all times attempt to make sure prospects are nicely knowledgeable and sorted. We at all times pay compensation whether it is due and have a straightforward type prospects can declare by on our web site.”
Wizz Air declined to remark. Ryanair has been approached for a response.
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