Ms Ethna Brogan:

The cost of providing care, assistance and compensation falls primarily to the airlines. In some cases where a cancellation or delay is caused by another body in the chain - for example, if an airport authority fails to clear snow from a runway and flights cannot take off at their scheduled times - the proposal before the committee will allow airlines to pass on the costs involved to that body. In reality, the costs of compliance relating to airlines probably are passed on within their fare structures. They are not borne by the consumer. The proposal is giving rights to the consumer to compensation in certain instances. The airlines must pay the costs to which I refer. Whether they absorb them or pass them on through their fare structures is a commercial matter for them.