British Airways and easyJet are locked in a landmark legal case brought against them for late flights.

The companies are fighting to dismiss the case, which could compel airlines to pay hundreds of millions of pounds to passengers for delayed flights.

The two travel giants have been sued in the High Court, facing allegations that they must automatically compensate travellers for significant flight delays or cancellations.

This could result in a major transformation in how passengers are compensated for travel disruptions, eliminating the need for them to file claims if their journey is affected.

Lawyers have identified up to 100,000 flights that have been delayed or cancelled since 2016, potentially resulting in a damages bill of at least £100 million for BA and easyJet.

If the case succeeds, it could set a precedent for substantial payouts across the industry, significantly raising the stakes for airlines most affected by delays and cancellations.

Passengers are entitled to compensation of up to £520 if their flights are delayed by more than three hours, but they must contact the airlines themselves to file a claim.

This has led to concerns that many travellers are unaware of their rights, with few taking the opportunity to seek compensation.

BA and easyJet will attempt to dismiss the case in a two-day court hearing this week.

The airlines argue that the lawsuit is “misconceived” and part of an effort by lawyers to profit from passengers.

The case is expected to reignite discussions over chronic travel disruption, which has been a major issue since the pandemic due to staff shortages and air traffic control chaos causing delays and cancellations.

After the claim was first launched last year, director of policy and advocacy at consumer group Which? Rocio Concha said: “While airlines already have a legal responsibility to inform passengers of their rights to compensation and assistance when things go wrong, too often we hear that this is not taking place.

“That this case needs to be brought at all once again exposes the UK’s feeble passenger rights protections.”