Legislation

National legislation

• Royal Legislative Decree 1/2007:  General Law for the Defense of Consumers and Users.
• Law 8/1989:  Public Fees and Prices (refund of unused fees).
• Law 48/1960:  Air Navigation.
• Law 21/2003:  Air safety.
• Royal Decree-Law 23/2018:  Package travel and linked travel arrangements.
• Law 7/2017 of 2 November 2017 : Alternative dispute resolution for consumer disputes.
• Order TMA/201/2022: It regulates the procedure for alternative dispute resolution in air transport.
• Order TMA/469/2023: Accredits AESA as an alternative dispute resolution entity.

European Union legislation

Main regulations:

• Regulation (EC) No 261/2004:  Compensation and assistance in case of delays, cancellations and denied boarding.
• Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 on the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air.
• Regulation (EC) No 2027/1997 and 889/2002: Airline liability in the event of an accident.
• Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005:  Passenger information about the operating airline and list of airlines banned in the EU.
• Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008: of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 2008 on common rules for the operation of air services in the Community on the principle of free pricing.

Supplementary documents

• Interpretative Guidelines for Regulations (EC) No 261/2004 and (EC) No 1107/2006.
• Relevant judgments of the Court of Justice of the EU
  • C-549/07, C-257/14 and C-832/18: manufacturing defects are not extraordinary circumstances.
  • C-394/14 and C-264/20: impact with another aircraft or boarding ladder.
  • C-159/18: impact with track objects.
  • C-12/11: closure of airspace due to volcanic eruption.
  • C-399/24: lightning strike on the aircraft.
  • C-257/14: Delays caused by technical breakdowns.
  • C-156/22: Incidents involving the death of a crew member.
  • C-308/21: Management of the fuel supply system.
  • C-195/17: Strikes by own staff are not extraordinary circumstances.
  • C-549/07: Technical breakdowns (only some are extraordinary circumstances).
  • C-315/15: Collision with birds as an extraordinary circumstance.

International regulations

• Montreal Convention (1999):  Liability of the carrier in cases of damage, loss or delay of luggage and in accidents with passengers.