Passengers can claim SR300 for every hour of flight delay: GACA

JEDDAH: Air passengers can claim a compensation of SR300 for every hour the flight is delayed, and for up to 10 hours, if the air carrier fails to announce the revised schedule for take-off.
Article 8 of the General Authority of Civil Aviation’s Consumer Protection Regulation states: “In the event that the air carrier does not announce the new possible time for take-off, the carrier must, in addition to providing the care required, compensate the consumer with an amount of SR300 for each hour’s delay, provided that such compensation does not exceed SR3,000.”
Under the same article, airlines are also required to provide hotel accommodation to passengers if the period of delay is expected to exceed six hours.
These rights of the passengers can be found on the GACA website under “Law and Regulations”. GACA implements laws and regulations to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers.
However, GACA can only guarantee these rights as long as passengers do not ignore the compensation or settle for less amounts.
When contacted over the phone, an executive office representative of GACA told Arab News that passengers must be careful while purchasing the ticket “on what they agree upon, as they might inadvertently settle for less than due to them.”
Saudi citizen Meshal Al-Fayez told Arab News that some airlines can take advantage of passengers’ unawareness of their rights pertaining to flight delays.
“If passengers are fully aware of their rights and claim penalties for flight delays, the companies would be extra cautious.”