Often airlines cannot pay the payments for passengers whose flights have been canceled, due to the depletion of their safes due to the almost complete suspension of their activities due to the repercussions of the Corona virus.

But a report in the French newspaper Le Monde says that Qatar Airways has already paid more than one billion euros to 600,000 passengers whose flights have been canceled due to the outbreak of the Corona epidemic since last March, to outperform its competitors.

The report added by writer Guy Dotile that the amount paid by the company since last March represents 96% of the customers who requested it.

The move surprised rival airlines after being closed for several months, and forced to cancel thousands of flights, as airlines around the world were required to make payments to billions of passengers.

At the end of last March, the International Air Transport Association estimated - according to the report - the total value of flights canceled over a period of 3 months at $ 35 billion, a cost that rose again in the months of last July and August as the borders opened and then closed again. Depending on the spread or recurrence of the epidemic.

According to a statement by Qatar Airways yesterday, the payment of payments to travelers came as part of the airline's efforts to fulfill its pledges and obligations towards travelers who wish to change their travel plans due to the Corona pandemic that affected global travel.

The national carrier of the State of Qatar has confirmed its commitment to return the value of the tickets paid to customers, explaining in this context that it is receiving an unprecedented number of refund requests for the value of tickets, and in conjunction with the difficulties faced by airlines and travelers due to travel restrictions imposed by countries in various parts of the world to limit the spread Corona pandemic, has worked hard to process all requests since last March, and is currently completing all new customer retrieval requests.

A matter of survival

The French Le Monde report says that due to the lack of money, airlines will take a long time to repay their customers' money, at a time when the General Director of the International Air Transport Association, Alexandre de Juniac, is not surprised about this, saying: “We are aware of the negative repercussions of this on passengers; but the issue is a matter of survival. For airlines facing a huge cash problem. "

And at the end of last July, the European Bureau of Consumer Unions identified the companies most reluctant to pay these payments, including Greek Airlines, Air France and Royal Dutch Airlines, according to the Le Monde report. The total accumulated payments on Air France that must be paid are about one billion euros. .

The report quoted the Director-General of the European Bureau of Consumer Unions, Monique Goins, as saying that these companies deny passengers their right to recover money in the event of a flight cancellation and deceive them by providing them with incorrect, partial or unclear information about their rights.

Instead of paying these money, airlines prefer to give their customers a later flight, at a time when the European Commission indicated that despite the crisis, the rights of travelers remain reserved.

Qatar Airways expanded the options offered to its passengers whose flights were canceled, and suggested tickets valid for two years (Reuters)

Distinguish weapon

The Le Monde report says that airline delays in paying travelers do not include Qatar Airways.

The report adds that Qatar Airways expanded the range of options offered to its passengers whose flights were canceled, and suggested tickets valid for two years, and the report described that as a weapon to distinguish the Qatari company from its competitors.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al-Baker said, "We hope that they will find in Qatar Airways an airline they can trust ... There is no doubt that the sums we have paid in ticket refunds have had a significant impact on our financial results." On the other hand, it is our duty to do what is right and in the interest of our customers and business partners. "

"We, as a leading airline, have sufficient strength to mitigate the impact of this matter," he added, according to a company statement reported by Qatar News Agency (QNA).