Trying to get compensation for a flight EWR-BRU-TLV where the EWR-BRU leg was delayed by three hours which would have meant missing the connection. United re-booked through London and the flight landed 9 hours later than the original landing time.
The official reason they gave is "ATC Flow Control".
This is the email response they gave to the claim
Thank you for contacting United Airlines regarding your recent travel with us.
We have again reviewed your request for cash compensation under the Israeli Law and found that we complied with all the applicable regulations at the time of your flight.
I understand that the delay was, at best, very frustrating and truly regret you were disappointed. Please let me explain why cash compensation is not applicable under the Israeli Air Passenger Law. Because all routine preventative maintenance actions were performed on the aircraft as scheduled, and the cancellation could not have been reasonably predicted or avoided, the event is considered force majeure and exclusionary to the mandatory compensation rules.
Please know that our legal department carefully reviews each of these matters with our system and technical operations groups to ensure we are in full compliance with the appropriate legal standards. Although the cause of the irregularity was extraordinary and unable to be avoided, we did what we could to minimize it, and have nothing further to advise at this point.
Regards,
Corporate Customer Care
United Airlines
Would you guys consider ATC delay to be a Force Majeure?