Travellers line up to check in at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4, following a disruption to check-in and boarding systems caused by a cyberattack, in Greater London, Britain, on Saturday.Isabel Infantes/Reuters
Some Canadians’ European holiday plans, family reunions and business trips may have been cancelled or delayed this week as a cyberattack rattled airports across the continent and Dutch airline KLM cancelled flights driven by a ground crew strike.
Data provided to The Globe and Mail by aviation data firm Cirium showed that up to around 5,661 passengers travelling from Canada on 19 flights were supposed to be headed to major airports affected by the cyberattack on Sunday. Additionally, around 5,000 passengers on 16 flights destined for Canada were travelling from major airports impacted by the cyberattack. It’s yet unclear how many travellers from Canada may have been impacted by the KLM strikes.
The incidents follow a string of aviation-related woes for travellers this summer, including a labour dispute by Air Canada flight attendants that left around 551,697 passengers stuck at home or abroad.
While the outcome for many may be the same – hours spent on hold to get information, wasted cash on hotels and car rentals, and derailed excursions or work commitments – what passengers are owed in these events varies.
Cyberattack causes flight cancellations and delays at European airports, stretching into Sunday
If you’ve been impacted by travel delays across Europe this week, here’s what you need to know.
What happened with flights across Europe?
A Friday cyberattack on MUSE software, a provider of check-in and boarding systems, scuttled operations at a number of major European airports over the weekend, including London’s Heathrow Airport as well as airports in Brussels, Berlin and Dublin.
The disruptions are expected to trickle into Monday, with Brussels Airport already asking airlines to cancel half of the scheduled departing flights that day as the security issue remained unresolved late on Sunday.
Last week, Dutch airline KLM also began cancelling more than 100 flights through Europe starting on Wednesday due to a strike by the airline’s ground staff. Around 27,000 passengers were affected in total, according to KLM. It’s unclear how many travellers from Canada were in the tally.
The Federation of Dutch Trade Unions also announced new strikes by KLM ground staff at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on Sept. 24 and Oct. 1, lasting six and eight hours respectively.
What am I owed if my flight was cancelled due to cyberattacks?
Since this weekend’s cyberattack impacted airports across Europe rather than specific airlines, the disruption would be considered outside the carrier’s control under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Rules.
It would also be considered an “extraordinary circumstance” under the rules in the European Union and the U.K.
This means that travellers whose flights to, from or within Europe were scuttled due to the cyberattacks are entitled to either a refund or rebooking under both Canadian, British and European rules.
But they’re generally not owed additional payment for the inconvenience and time lost, as was the case during the Air Canada strike for some of those with European flights.
“Compensation in this case is likely none, due to it being external factors causing the disruption,” said Zohair Khan, co-founder and chief operating officer at airfairness, a Canadian consumer travel tech firm.
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Still, the European and British rules, known as EC261 and UK261, offer a key advantage: “You are also owed meals and accommodation,” said Gabor Lukacs, president of Air Passenger Rights, an advocacy group.
These rules extend to passengers travelling from or within the region with any airline and those flying in on a European carrier.
Under Canada’s rules, passengers are still owed alternate transportation by the airline. If the airline fails to rebook passengers, the airline may be liable for the passengers’ meals and accommodation expenses caused by the failure to rebook.
What am I owed if KLM cancels my flight due to ground crew strikes?
Under European Union and British rules, passengers travelling from or within those regions on any airline are owed a rebooking or a full refund for the unused portion of their ticket.
Most importantly though, they’re also typically owed compensation – a payout for the hassle and time lost – for their ordeal. That’s above and beyond anything that the airline might owe in terms of refunds or rebooking.
The compensation amounts to between around $400 to $700 depending on the distance of the flight and the length of delay.
Canadian rules offer no such compensation in the case of a strike by airline staff. But that shouldn’t be an issue for KLM passengers in Canada travelling to the EU – since the airline is a European carrier, they would likely qualify for compensation.
How do I claim compensation?
To file a claim under EC261 or UK261, passengers still generally have to go through the airline’s customer service or claims portal. (Or they can use a third-party service, though these services often come with fees).
However, the EU and Britain – unlike Canada – are known for offering consistent protection for passengers. That applies to holding airlines accountable during operational disruptions that are within their control.
