Introduction
Flight delays or cancellations are frequently confronted in air
travel, resulting in material damages and inconvenience for
passengers. However, the circumstances under which passengers can
demand recovery of damages for delays or cancellations (eg, when
resulting from unfavourable weather conditions, natural disasters
or technical defects in an aircraft mechanism) are often called
into question.
For the purpose of protecting the rights of aggrieved
passengers, new codes have been enacted in both EU and Turkish law.
EU Regulation 261/2004, which governs air passenger rights in the
event of delayed or cancelled flights, was enacted in 2004. In
relation to the rights of air passengers under Turkish law, the
Regulation on Air Passenger Rights (based on the EU regulation)
entered into force on January 1 2012. The Turkish regulation
governs the rights of passengers on flights by carriers of Turkish
origin to and from airports in Turkey, as well as those on
