Birds and Planes fly into European court

The European Court of Justice has ruled that airlines can't be held responsible for flight delays caused by birds.

The judges ruled that the EU's air passenger rights rules, known as Regulation 261, doesn't give passengers compensation for delays caused by the flying pests, because the airlines are exempt in "extraordinary circumstances." The ruling, binding across the EU, now defines bird strikes in that category.

The case was appealed to the European court from the Czech Republic, and is considered a significant victory for airlines. That may be especially true for the UK, where courts have repeatedly ruled for passengers in similar cases.