Today’s announcement of the European Commission’s proposed amendments to regulation EU261/2004 is a lost opportunity and a disappointment to the industry according to The Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR UK).

Dale Keller, Chief Executive, said “Following extensive feedback and consultation with the industry to achieve a regulation that is fit for purpose, we are disappointed that new rights have been proposed, which are not according to the original intention of the legislation, to provide assistance and compensation to passengers for overbooked or commercially cancelled flights. We are extremely concerned about a number of distorting and disproportionate anomalies, including connecting flight proposals that potentially impact the consumers ability to transfer between airlines on a combined fare and ticket.

“We believe that EC261 is a clumsy and in many cases excessive regulation, placing an excessive burden on airlines operating from and within Europe at a time when the region is already struggling. The global competition amongst airlines drives high levels of consumer satisfaction that are a necessity for survival. The proposed amendments do not reflect the reality of the international airline sector in 2013.”