Airlines should be fined for ignoring passengers’ rights, a consumer group has said.

Which? has called for aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority to be given “teeth” following travel chaos in the run-up to Easter this week.

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It comes after hundreds of flights have been cancelled in recent days due to airlines struggling to employ new staff and COVID-related absences among existing workers.

Airlines have also been accused of failing to meet their responsibilities under consumer laws.

They should offer passengers who have been affected a refund or re-route them as quickly as possible using other carriers if necessary, as well as provide refreshments and accommodation.

Passengers may be entitled to at least £220 in compensation for flights cancelled less than seven days before departure.

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Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “Lessons should be learnt from the travel shambles this Easter.

“With many in the industry predicting a busy summer, the government must work with airlines and airports to ensure they have the resources and capacity to handle increased passenger numbers, as there can be no excuse for a repeat of these failings.

“Airlines wouldn’t be ignoring the law and their passengers’ rights if the aviation regulator had some teeth.

“The Department for Transport can support consumers by equipping the Civil Aviation Authority with direct fining powers.

“It should also drop its plans to change compensation rules for UK flights which are an important deterrent against passengers being treated unfairly.”

The Department for Transport is planning to make the amount of compensation payable for heavily disrupted domestic flights capped at the air fare paid.

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