Aviation

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) considers that there is a need to undertake a legislative reform of Regulation No 261/2004 in order to consolidate all air passenger rights into a single text.

The plaintiff had booked a holiday package and spent her vacations in Gran Canaria in April 2010. Her return flight scheduled for April 17, 2010 had been cancelled because of the air space closures caused by the 'ash cloud'. Thus she had to stay in Gran Canaria until April 23, 2010 and bear the extra costs of this extend stay (mainly: hotel and telephone costs). Back home she sued the tour organiser for compensation. The appelate court (LG Innsbruck), however, dismissed the claim against the tour organiser.

In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Dec. 21, Theophilus Maranga says he "risked his life" by jumping on the would-be bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian man who attempted to blow up a Detroit-bound flight from Amsterdam with a bomb stashed in his underwear. The lawsuit says Maranga lost a tooth and suffered injuries to his ribs, permanent numbness in his hands and a pain in his neck that hampers his movements.

The consultation on the possible revision of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 aims to gather stakeholders' views on the identification of possible shortcomings of the Regulation and their extent, and on the options to improve its application, either via non-legislative measures or via a revision of the Regulation. The consultation period is 19/12/2011 to 11/03/2012.