Compensation fund irks airlines

Airlines all over Europe have raised strong objections to the contents of a report that was released in Brussels. Based on the report, Airlines will be forced to pay a compensation fund for passengers if their plane fails to take off within three hours of departure; leaving its passengers stranded.

Airlines have claimed this as being a very expensive response to a seemingly trivial problem.

The change in travel policies is being considered predominantly to aid customers who make online bookings for flights. Insolvency protection is called for to be extended by the European Union consumer commissioner Meglena Kuneva.

After the debacle of now-failed groups such as UK package operator XL or the Bratislava based airline SkyEurope, where thousands of travelers were left stranded, the policy of extending the Insolvency protection seems to be the need of the hour.

Lawmakers all over Europe have passed a resolution asking the Commission to consider options to ensure that travelers are not left stranded. Suggestions include setting up a compensation fund.

However, some airlines believe that of the 600 million people who travel in and around Europe each year, only a tiny percentage of people get stranded.

Many aircrafts already offer most passengers travel insurance and considering the burgeoning costs that the airlines already have to face, they feel this would be an added inconvenience.