The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) announced in a message on their website that they have investigated the actions of ten airlines that canceled flights due to the coronavirus outbreak. Many airlines did not give passengers the opportunity to get a refund, but gave them a corona voucher.

Tui, KLM, Corendon and Transavia did not give their passengers the opportunity to get a refund if flights are canceled by Corona. These four airlines have meanwhile adjusted their policy on this. Passengers of these companies can choose between a refund of the ticket price, a voucher or flight rebooking. This is the course of action that ILT would like to see.

Ryanair, Delta Airlines, Easyjet, Lufthansa and British Airways gave passengers the option of a refund or a voucher. Passengers who disagree with a received voucher can still get their money back. It remains to be seen when you get the payment back, officially this must be done within seven days, but due to the large numbers of applications, this period is almost not feasible.

Agreements are still being made with TUI, KLM, Corendon and Transavia about the repayment term. These talks take place in July and August and airlines that do not comply with the agreements are first warned and then imposed a penalty. Vueling Airlines' compliance with the rules is under investigation. The airline says that it gives passengers the choice between a refund and rebooking, but reports and complaints from travelers say otherwise.

Under the EU Passenger Rights Regulation, when a flight is canceled, the passenger is entitled to a rebooking on a flight under comparable transport conditions, a refund of the full ticket amount within 7 days or a voucher. ILT will monitor the airlines and sanction them for not complying with the rules.

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