Flights for 5,800 passengers of Croatia Airlines have been canceled, resulting in damages of €580,000, while Europe suffers €150 million in losses in a single day, and the eruption in Iceland is intensifying, reports vecernji.hr
The situation caused in international traffic by the volcanic cloud from Iceland reminds Croatia Airlines (CA) director Ivan Mišetić of Judgment Day. His statement was broadcast by Antena Zagreb, and CA’s executive director for marketing, Srećko Šimunović, stated for Večernjak that on Thursday and Friday, 5,800 passengers did not fly with CA. This means that the company suffered damages of €580,000 just from ticket sales. The total damages in air traffic in Europe are estimated by the Association of European Airlines at €150 million per day, and a complete standstill is expected for several more days.
Considering this to be a case of force majeure, Šimunović stated that airlines are not obligated to cover hotel costs for passengers. However, the European Commission announced that European passenger rights still apply to passengers of airlines from the EU, as well as from third countries on flights from the EU. This means that they can choose either a refund or rerouting, during which the airline must provide meals, refreshments, and hotel accommodation.
The only difference, the EC informs, is that passengers do not have the right to the usual additional compensation between €125 and €600. While at Pleso today it was a matter of making do as best as one can, for all passengers of the nine canceled flights from Zadar, the city tourist board and the airport organized accommodation in a hotel for about ten euros. (www.vecernji.hr)
