Climate Protests: Airlines Not to Blame for Cancellations

The Spalt family from Meiningen were supposed to go on holiday to Sweden last Thursday. The couple travelled with their two children from Zurich to Frankfurt, where the change was planned. But at the time, climate protests were taking place there, and activists were glued to the runway.

“The next time we looked at the station, we were shocked. Our flight to Kalmar was cancelled. We thought: ‘Okay, we’ll find a solution, maybe we’ll fly a few hours later or travel via Stockholm.’ So my husband stood in the queue, which got longer and longer,” says Beatrix Spalt.

The family stayed in a hotel and the airline covered the costs, but only for one night. The luggage was not found at the airport. “I had to go shopping, and we didn’t have anything with us except what was on our bodies, so to speak, and in our hand luggage,” says Spalt. On the first day in Frankfurt she bought clothes and essentials like a toothbrush. “I hope to get that back,” she says.

Additional costs over 700 euros

The Spalt family has incurred additional costs of over 700 euros and is currently stuck. According to experts, compensation is only available if there are no exceptional circumstances. Lawyer Melanie Buchberger-Golabi confirms this in an interview with ORF Studio2. “The airline can of course say: this is an exceptional circumstance and I can't do anything about it. So I am not responsible for any costs that arise,” she explains.

Buchberger-Golabi cites natural disasters or political unrest as examples of exceptional circumstances. “This means you have to cancel your flight or choose another flight destination for safety reasons,” she says. Then the airline is not responsible for the costs incurred.

Alternative transportation costs must be covered.

According to German aviation law experts, climate protests are also one of these exceptional circumstances. Normally no compensation can be expected from the airline. However, there is still a chance to recover the money: The European Court of Justice has ruled that airlines must do everything they can to get their passengers to their destination as quickly as possible.

This also includes considering alternative travel options such as flights from other airlines or other modes of transportation such as buses, trains or taxis. Airlines only plan to cover the costs of these alternative modes of transportation. This means that the Spalt family can at least count on getting their travel costs back.