Fuelling problems at Manchester Airport, is compensation due?

A fortnight ago more than 85 flights were cancelled and several more were delayed due to a fuelling problem at Manchester airport. The airport stated that the incident was caused by a power failure. Most of the troubled flights were delayed in excess of 3 hours. More than 13 thousand passengers were affected and they were left wondering if they could claim compensation for their disruptions.

Can I claim compensation if my flight has been delayed or cancelled due to the fuelling problem at Manchester Airport?

Unfortunately for passengers, a problem under the responsibility of the airport does not entitle them to compensation. Management of the fuelling mechanisms falls under the airport’s obligations and not under an operating carrier’s scope of influence. In other words, airlines are not responsible for the fuelling system and its maintenance. Therefore, its malfunction is to be considered an extraordinary circumstance, an event outside of an airline’s control.

Some of the airlines severely affected were Ryanair, Flybe, British Airways, EasyJet and Jet2. Most passengers that needed accommodation, because their flight was cancelled, reported that adequate care was provided.

What about any subsequent flight delays and cancellations?

The problem at Manchester airport had a knock-on effect all around Europe. Even flights that were not taking off or landing in Manchester became disrupted. Airlines sometimes operate different routes with the same aircraft and so, more than one flight can be disrupted by an event. For example, if an aeroplane was supposed to fly from Manchester to Rome and then travel from Rome to Warsaw, a delay of three hours at Manchester would disrupt both flights. Unfortunately, the root cause of the disruption of the Rome-Warsaw flight would still be the fuelling problem and thus, its passengers also would not be entitled to compensation.

However, if your flight was the third or fourth one after the initial problem, it is possible that a subsequent disruption might have been caused by an independent problem.  We can always double check the circumstances surrounding your flight, all you have to do is submit your claim under our no-win no-fee basis. If we believe you’re entitled to compensation, we’ll take care of everything and sue the airline if necessary. Best of all, our 25% win fee only applies when we’ve successfully claimed your compensation and covers all possible legal costs!

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