THE Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on June 26 issued a directive in an attempt to clear up the confusion surrounding the compensation to be paid to passengers who find themselves booked on delayed flights.

The directive clearly stated that passengers must receive some form of compensation if a flight's delay was caused by the airline company itself. The CAAC also stated that the airlines would not have to pay compensation if other factors were involved, for example bad weather or a mistake by air traffic controllers.

The directive said the amount of compensation would vary depending on whether "the delay was more than four but less than eight hours" or "more than eight hours".

Compensation may be in cash, ticket discounts or offering free air miles. To avoid further delays, generally speaking the compensation procedure would not be finalized at the airport. Airport administration authorities should also prevent passengers from staying on board planes or refusing to board.

But the CAAC has not produced a unified compensation standard for airline companies. The final details would have to be mapped out by the airlines companies themselves.

The CAAC said that the companies should be able to announce a standard form of compensation payments by the end of the year.

In the first quarter of the year, the percentage of on-time flights was 77.41 per cent, lower than the international level of 80 per cent.

The most common reasons given by airlines for delayed flights were engine malfunction and inappropriate on-board service facilities.

According to Wu Jianduan, who holds a doctorate in aviation law, aviation is a distinctive form of transportation filled with risks. Any negative factors which may affect a flight must be checked and, if necessary, fixed to ensure the safety of passengers.

"Currently, airline companies are having trouble with their lines of communication especially in providing information about how earlier delays will have a knock-on effect on later flights. All airline companies are obliged to inform passengers of the reason for any flight's delay as soon as possible," he said.

Most foreign airline companies do not pay compensation for delays in cash but in meals, telephone calls and accommodation.

Wu said: "Passengers need to be aware they have three rights: to know, to choose and to ask for compensation. Recently, customers and airline companies seem to be placing too much emphasis on the compensation aspect.

"It is necessary that airline companies attach more importance to the other two rights of customers, which will help to establish a better system."

It was also important for passengers to understand their rights and not to take impulsive actions when faced with a delay which will not only cause more delays but will also be a breach of the law.