JEDDAH: The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) will introduce from the middle of this month new regulations to protect the consumer certified last month by GACA Chairman Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General. The new regulations include providing passengers with hotel accommodation free of charge in the event of flight cancellation up to a maximum of SR3,000 per day until a replacement flight is provided, and SR300 in compensation for every hour of delay up to a maximum of SR3,000 should the carrier fail to provide an alternative flight for a period of over six hours. If take-off is delayed, the carrier is required to provide refreshments within the first hour of the delay, and if the delay exceeds three hours it is required to provide a hot meal. Delays of six hours or more from the original departure time require the carrier to provide free hotel accommodation. The regulations also see new conditions introduced concerning disabled passengers. In the case of passengers refused boarding after being given tickets or should there be any failing in services or provision of the necessary facilities on the part of airport operators, then passengers are to be compensated to the value of 200 percent of the total ticket price with additional compensation for the refusal to allow them to board. Fines will also be introduced for failures to meet performance levels, and air carriers are warned in the regulations that failures to abide by the new conditions could result in a suspension of their licenses or permanent withdrawal of licenses to operate. Carriers are further required to present monthly reports to GACA on flight delays and cancellations and any instances of passengers being refused clearance for boarding or complaints from passengers and how they were handled as well as performance evaluation reports.
