There could be an impact on “tens of thousands” of claims filed each year, the Supreme Court stated on Wednesday afternoon.
A couple whose flight was canceled due to a sick pilot and the lack of a substitute was the reason behind the lawsuit against British Airways (BA).
Does it matter when or who gets sick?.
an BA claimed that this was a “extraordinary circumstance” that was beyond their control and could not have been prevented, meaning that they would not be required to reimburse the airlines.
an In spite of this, the Supreme Court ruled that staff illness did not qualify as a “extraordinary circumstance” and that an award was therefore due.
According to the Supreme Court’s ruling, “all of these are inherent in the carrier’s activity and operations. If, for any reason, they are unable to report for work because of something going wrong during those rest periods—whether it is their fault or not—that failure to report is not an extraordinary circumstance.”
