‘You are on line 944 out of 1665’: Thurso man still waiting for compensation over cancelled flight
A man whose flight from Wick to Aberdeen was cancelled at short notice four months ago has been told that his claim for compensation is 944th in a list of 1665.
Geoff Simpson says his message to Eastern Airways, which operates the public service obligation (PSO) route, is: “If you’re not going to do a decent job then just get out of the road and let somebody come in that will.”
Mr Simpson (63), from Thurso, had booked a morning flight for January 27 only to receive a call less than two hours before scheduled departure telling him it was off for “technical reasons”.
The cancellation caused him to miss an appointment for a scan at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary as part of his ongoing cancer treatment.
Mr Simpson was informed that under a regulation known as UK261 he was entitled to £220 compensation.
In an email on February 17, Eastern Airways’ refund claims team told him: “Your details have been passed to our accounts department, we aim to make settlement within 14-16 weeks of receiving this email.”
In a further email, on May 19, the refund claims team told Mr Simpson: “We do apologies [sic] there has not been much movement since our last email. As of today, your estimated settlement time of 14-16 weeks has not yet been reached as it starts from the date we send the details to accounts which was the 17th February, please await this timeframe.
“What we can also advise is that you are currently on line 944 out of 1665 of the compensation settlement spreadsheet.
“When you request your next update, you can also ask what number you are on, so this gives you an idea of where you are in the queue.”
The figures quoted in the email relate to all services operated by the Humberside-based airline.
Mr Simpson said this week: “I found out that under UK261, if your flight is cancelled in those circumstances, you’re entitled to £220 compensation. Eastern said you need to submit a compensation form, so I did all of that, probably in the first week of February at the latest, because I was pretty hacked off with them.
“Then I was told that ‘well, the clock doesn’t start counting until we forward it to our accounts for processing’, which on the email says February 17. So I’ve lost two weeks there.
“It’s their commitment to compensate within 14 to 16 weeks, so they’re not honouring their own obligation. As I said when I responded to them, it’s just getting worse and worse.”
Mr Simpson has not flown with Eastern Airways since the January cancellation. “I just can’t rely on them,” he said.
Wick/Aberdeen flights were reinstated in April 2022 under a PSO funded by the Scottish Government at £1 million a year and Highland Council at £300,000. A continuation of government funding into the financial year 2025/26 was announced in March.
Less than a fortnight after the Scottish Government funding announcement, a revised timetable came into effect with Monday and Friday morning flights dropped from the schedule.
It means the service continues to operate six days per week, but now with a single return flight on all weekdays as well as Sundays.
Mr Simpson said: “They’re getting £1.3 million a year and what they’ve done is progressively chop and change the timetable.
“I know they must be very busy, and I don’t blame the admin staff in the office – but even if they could come back to you and say ‘there’s been a delay, it’s actually going to be 30 weeks until we can do this’, then at least you’d know.
“But I’m the one having to badger them the whole time and that just doesn’t feel right.
“Years ago Loganair did a Wick/Edinburgh flight and there was never anything like that carry-on. If they can manage to do it then why can’t Eastern?
“The route [between Wick and Aberdeen] hasn’t changed. It’s still A to B, it’s 40 minutes in the air.”
Mr Simpson works at Dounreay as head of profession for health, safety, quality, radiation protection and chemical safety.
He says he has been “very open” about having cancer and is currently receiving chemotherapy infusions every second week at Caithness General Hospital.
“The journey continues,” he said. “I’ll get there. I’m not done yet, not by a long chalk.
“Don’t die of embarrassment. Go and see your GP if you’re not feeling right. It might be nothing, but the quicker you get the diagnosis, the quicker the medical profession is able to come up with a solution for your particular case.
“That’s the way it has got to be, and the more we talk about it, the better.
“Now the treatments are so much more advanced. There is hope for everybody – that’s the way it has got to be.”
Eastern Airways has been approached for comment.
