Italian Civil Aviation Authority reminds airlines to respect passengers’ rights

Following the enactment of the latest Decree on COVID-19 (dpcm) on November 3, ENAC (Italian Civil Aviation Authority) called on all the airlines that operate flights to and from Italy to “respect the rights of passengers who cannot take advantage of airline tickets already purchased, because of the new measures to combat and contain the COVID-19 emergency, ordered by the government to protect the health of citizens”.

The airlines, ENAC emphasized in its note, are obligated to “reimburse passengers with scheduled flights to the airports in these areas who, for reasons beyond their control, cannot use the flight”.

Italian Civil Aviation Authority said that it has received various reports from travelers denied the refund of tickets that were no longer valid because of these recent restrictions.

To underline the new provisions in force in Italy, to protect the rights of air transport passengers, as per the relevant EU regulations, ENAC also wrote to the sector associations IBAR (Italian Board of Airline Representatives) and IATA ( International Air Transport Association).