After a procedure lasting almost eight years, Easyjet was ordered by a French court to compensate a passenger to the tune of approximately 5,000 euros for refusing boarding to his daughter whose passport had expired for 18 days.
This is a situation that often happens at airports. When boarding, the airline notices that the passenger’s passport is expired. In most cases, boarding is then refused.
This is what happened in October 2018 to this Swiss family who were scheduled to take a Lyon-Naples flight with Easyjet. Their minor daughter’s passport has expired for 18 days, the company then invokes European regulations, which stipulate the presentation of a valid identity document to travel, to refuse her boarding. The family then has no choice but to reach their destination by bus, losing a night in a hotel in the Italian city in the process.
Regulatory battle
The father of the family does not stop there. He argues that a 1957 European agreement ratified in particular by France and Italy authorizes free movement in Europe with a valid passport or one that has expired for less than five years. Easyjet, for its part, sticks to its positions by relying on the 2004 European directive which for its part requires a valid document to circulate freely.
Unable to find common ground, the passenger takes the matter to court. If he wins at first instance, the court rejects the request for compensation for costs incurred, due to lack of supporting documents. But in 2023 this decision was overturned in cassation and the case was sent back to the Lyon judicial court.
Last February, justice confirmed the validity of the passenger’s request, considering that the 1957 agreement does indeed apply, reports Le Monde. The court notably relied on a 2020 decision of the Court of Cassation for a similar case again involving Easyjet. The court then ruled that the 1957 agreement took precedence over the 2004 directive. The airline must therefore pay 4,872 euros for the damages suffered and 3,000 euros to cover legal costs. Easyjet said it “takes note of the decision”.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
