Half of Dutch flyers not compensated for delays

Although air travelers in Europe are entited to compensation for flight delays of more than three hours, about half of Dutch passengers do not get this compensation, the Telegraaf reports.

The newspaper based its report on figures from organizations like Reisrecht, Vluchtvertraacht, EUclaim and Consumentenbond. According to Henry Noorderhaven of EUclaim, every year about 80 thoousand Dutch miss out on this compensation, most of them get talked out of claiming. This involves an amount of about 35 million euro, according to him. "the aviation inspectorate does nothing."

This compensation applies only to the European aviation industry. The European Court of Justice ruled that operational and technical problems that cause delays are not force majeure, but many airlines are still trying to hide behind it, according to the Telegraaf.