Emergency landing to cost BA thousands in compensation
British Airways has backed down and compensated some of the hundreds of passengers whose flights were delayed when one of its Airbus A319 aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at Heathrow almost a year ago.
Flight BA762 to Oslo was forced to return to the airport shortly after take-off when both engine doors blew off, causing a fire in the right one.
Passengers were forced to evacuate via escape slides and the aircraft blocked one of the two runways at the busy London airport on May 24 last year, disrupting several other flights due to take off later that day.
BA initially denied passengers affected were due compensation, claiming the incident was due to exceptional circumstances beyond its control and therefore European regulation EC261 exempted it from compensating passengers.
However, an investigation by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch revealed the fault was due to human error. Retaining latches, which hold the engine doors in place, had not been closed.
As a result, those passengers on BA flights that were delayed more than three hours due to the incident are entitled to claim compensation of between €250 and €600 per person from the airline, said solicitors Bott & Co.
The law firm has already successfully claimed compensation for passengers on three BA flights that were disrupted.
It said one couple whose flight from Manchester was delayed due to the incident, causing the pair to miss their connection to New York, has received €1,200.
Another couple whose BA flight from Heathrow to Stockholm was delayed has received €500, and passengers on a BA flight to Madrid, which was cancelled, have each been awarded €250.
In response to the question about how much it expected to pay out in total, a BA spokeswoman said: "BA complies with its obligations as set out in EU Regulation 261.
"We always do everything we can to support our customers during times of disruption, including offering refreshments and hotel accommodation to those who require it."
Following the incident, nine passengers onboard the Oslo-bound flight filed a lawsuit against aircraft manufacturer Airbus and the engine maker International Aero Engines.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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