Airlines expect to avoid repeat of last summer’s travel chaos

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Airlines will be ready to avoid a repeat of last year’s travel chaos, but some flights could be disrupted by controller strikes, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Sunday.

“I am reasonably confident that we’ll be able to get through this peak summer without too much disruption,” IATA Director-General Willie Walsh said.

The IATA criticized schemes that force the airlines to pay compensation for unavoidable delays.

Airline leaders attending IATA’s annual meeting in Istanbul this week remain concerned about disruptions in air-traffic control in Europe and the United States.

“But as far as they are concerned, they have fulfilled their obligation to get their resources in place for this summer,” Walsh told Reuters in an interview. “Most of the airports, I think, will be okay, as well. I think they’ve learned the lessons from last year.”

A faster-than-expected rebound in air travel, coupled with labor shortages, caused chaos at several airports in Europe and North America last summer and prompted a row between airlines and airports over passenger caps designed to ease the pressure.

Rising numbers of disputes between travelers and airlines globally have led to calls for passenger compensation.

Legislation is under review in Canada, the US government is writing new rules, and the European Union is pushing for stronger enforcement of its existing “Regulation 261,” which requires compensation for delays of more than three hours.

“Ultimately, it is the consumer who’s paying, because this is, of course, being borne by the industry, but the industry can’t just absorb that,” Walsh said.

Some passenger groups have accused airlines of skirting compensation by invoking an exemption for exceptional circumstances. EU rules allow such exemptions as long as airlines can show they have taken reasonable steps to prevent any delay.

Airlines have reported strong bookings for this summer as air traffic returns toward preCOVID levels.

European air-traffic-control agency Eurocontrol warned late last year that 2023 could be “the most challenging year of the last decade” due to the Ukraine conflict, possible strikes, rising numbers of aircraft and the reopening of Asian markets.