The Fixer: delayed flight compensation

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Dear Fixer,

I am trying to get compensation from Norwegian Air for a delay to a flight I took with my family from New York to London in August last year.

The flight was delayed by more than four hours, which was very inconvenient, especially as my wife and I were travelling with three small children.

I have written to Norwegian claiming compensation under European law. But the airline is refusing to offer us anything at all. Can you help?

M Stigzelius, London

Dear Mr Stigzelius,

Norwegian apologises for the delay to your flight from New York, which was caused by a combination of a bird colliding with the aircraft and a passenger being taken ill on board as the plane travelled from Oslo to New York.

However, Norwegian Air is taking advantage of a loophole commonly used by airlines seeking to avoid compensate passengers by arguing that it is not liable because the disruption was caused by circumstances "outside its control".

And as a result of this, it is even refusing to offer a payment as a gesture of goodwill.

The airline said: "Norwegian always follows EU regulations regarding passenger rights. But whenever a delay is caused by disruptions out of our control, passengers have no right to compensation."

If you wish to continue your fight for compensation, I would therefore advise you to escalate your complaint to Norway's Civil Aviation Authority. Good luck!

The Fixer

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