Huzar Ruling Narrows Extraordinary Circumstances Exemption

Last week, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales issued a ruling that could significantly alter the landscape for passenger rights claims in the UK. In this case, the question at issue was whether a wiring defect discovered in the course of regular aircraft maintenance could be considered an "extraordinary circumstance" that would absolve the carrier of having to compensate the passenger for the flight delay. The Court of Appeal ruled that technical defects caused by the normal wear and tear that occurs in the operation of an aircraft could not be used to trigger the "extraordinary circumstances" exemption.