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22 June 2020 The National Civil Aviation Authority "is initiating investigations into airline sanctions for failure to comply with the EU passenger protection regulation". This is stated in a note from the body in which it is recalled that "in the event of flight cancellations for reasons not attributable to the covid-19 emergency, the ticket will be refunded and not a voucher will be issued" as is the case for some companies.

The measures, explains ENAC, are due to failure to comply with the EU passenger protection regulation. 

"As already anticipated with the communication sent to carriers operating in Italy on 18 June, with which ENAC called on companies to comply with EU regulation No. 261 of 2004 which protects passengers in cases of delays, cancellations, overbooking and missed information, the national civil aviation body - reads the note - is launching some investigations for the provision of sanctions against companies that have not applied the aforementioned regulation ".

"Despite the recall, in fact, from the first findings it would seem that some airlines continue to cancel flights, citing the covid-19 emergency as a reason (cases envisaged in art. 88 bis of Law no. 27 of 24 April 2020), and recognizing passengers only with a voucher ", explains ENAC.

"Given that the restrictions on the movement of natural persons within the national territory and in the European Schengen area, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland have been removed starting from 3 June, cancellations after that date would seem to be ENAC made by commercial and entrepreneurial choices of the carriers, not by reasons attributable to the emergency. Community regulation No. 261 of 2004, provides, in the case of cancellation of flights for reasons not connected to the emergency covid-19, that the companies provide to passengers: information; reprotection; reimbursement of the ticket price (not the payment of a voucher); compensation, where due ".

"ENAC, therefore, is initiating investigations that will lead to the provision of sanctions against carriers in the event of an ascertained violation of the reference EU regulation", concludes the note.