CELEX: 62020CA0028
Language: en
Date: 2021-03-23 00:00:00
Title: Case C-28/20: Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 23 March 2021 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Attunda tingsrätt — Sweden) — Airhelp Ltd v Scandinavian Airlines System SAS (Reference for a preliminary ruling — Air transport — Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 — Article 5(3) — Common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of cancellation or long delay of flights — Exemption from the obligation to pay compensation — Concept of ‘extraordinary circumstances’ — Pilots’ strike organised within a legal framework — Circumstances that are ‘internal’ and ‘external’ to the operating air carrier’s activity — Articles 16, 17 and 28 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union — No impairment of the air carrier’s freedom to conduct a business, right to property and right of negotiation)

17.5.2021   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               C 189/4
            
         
      Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 23 March 2021 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Attunda tingsrätt — Sweden) — Airhelp Ltd v Scandinavian Airlines System SAS
      (Case C-28/20) (1)
      
      (Reference for a preliminary ruling - Air transport - Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 - Article 5(3) - Common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of cancellation or long delay of flights - Exemption from the obligation to pay compensation - Concept of ‘extraordinary circumstances’ - Pilots’ strike organised within a legal framework - Circumstances that are ‘internal’ and ‘external’ to the operating air carrier’s activity - Articles 16, 17 and 28 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union - No impairment of the air carrier’s freedom to conduct a business, right to property and right of negotiation)
      (2021/C 189/05)
      Language of the case: Swedish
      
         Referring court
      
      Attunda tingsrätt
      
         Parties to the main proceedings
      
      
         Applicant: Airhelp Ltd
      
         Defendant: Scandinavian Airlines System SAS
      
         Operative part of the judgment
      
      Article 5(3) of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights, and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 295/91, must be interpreted as meaning that strike action which is entered into upon a call by a trade union of the staff of an operating air carrier, in compliance with the conditions laid down by national legislation, in particular the notice period imposed by it, which is intended to assert the demands of that carrier’s workers and which is followed by a category of staff essential for operating a flight does not fall within the concept of an ‘extraordinary circumstance’ within the meaning of that provision.
      
         (1)  OJ C 85, 23.3.2020.