In a significant ruling, two passengers arriving in Agadir with over three hours of delay successfully claimed compensation against Royal Air Maroc. The airline is mandated to pay them a total of 800 euros in compensation, along with an additional 450 euros to cover their legal expenses.
The travelers had booked a journey from Lyon to Agadir, with a layover in Casablanca, on flights AT721 and AT341, expecting to arrive at 11:55 PM on January 29, 2025. However, they ultimately reached their destination more than three hours late, as per the judgment delivered on September 2, 2026, by the Villeurbanne local court.
The court was approached in July 2025 to review their request for 400 euros each under the European regulation on air passenger rights. Additionally, the travelers sought 600 euros for what they termed abusive resistance and further claimed 2,000 euros for their legal fees.
Despite acknowledging the summons, Royal Air Maroc failed to appear or send a representative to the hearing. However, the absence of the airline did not exempt the judge from evaluating the passengers' claims.
Compensation Determined Without Extraordinary Circumstances
The passengers presented their confirmed reservation as evidence. In contrast, the airline did not provide proof that the delay was under three hours, nor could it demonstrate any extraordinary circumstances that would exempt it from liability. For this journey covering 2,124 kilometers, the court upheld a compensation amount of 400 euros per passenger.
Consequently, Royal Air Maroc is required to pay a total of 1,250 euros, which includes the compensation of 800 euros and the 450 euros in legal fees, in addition to other costs incurred.
On the flip side, the court dismissed the request for 600 euros for abusive resistance, ruling that the airline's malice or bad faith was not sufficiently established.
As reported by bladi.net.
