More than 191,000 air passengers, across Ireland, were eligible for compensation for flight disruption this summer, new research shows.
Latest figures from leading travel tech firm AirHelp – which specialises in compensation analysis – nearly 13 million people, globally, are eligible for compensation following a summer of widespread global flight disruption.
With over one billion air passengers travelling worldwide between June and August, it has never been more important for people to understand the rights that protect them while in transit, AirHelp said.
AirHelp reported that 11.3 million passengers departed or arrived in Ireland between June and August this year, with 3.5 million travellers (31%) experiencing disruptions. What’s more, a further 113,000 people had their flights cancelled and 48,000 passengers missed their connecting flights.
When looking at eligibility, more than 191,000 passengers across Ireland were eligible for compensation this summer. The highest number of passengers eligible for compensation were in June and July at 74,000 and 73,000 respectively, compared to 44,000 in August.
Under the EC261 regulation, Irish passengers are eligible to flight compensation of up to €600 when faced with cancellations less than 14 days before departure, delays of more than three hours, or denied boarding due to overbooking – all where the airline is at fault.
Looking at the data for Irish airports, AirHelp said Dublin Airport had the highest number of passengers eligible for compensation (89,000). This figure drops significantly when looking at other airports across the country, with 6,400 and 5,000 passengers eligible from Cork Airport and Shannon Airport.
“85% of passengers worldwide do not know their rights, and our mission is to better inform them of the regulations that protect them when travelling.”
“This summer has had unprecedented levels of disruptions due to strikes, aeroplane shortages and scheduling conflicts, so it has never been more information for passengers to understand how they can claim for the compensation they are entitled to now and in the future,” said Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of AirHelp.
