Connecting flight cancelled due to fog

Singh23

I was due to travel LHR-DEL-ATQ with Air India this month. When I arrived in DEL (already one hour late), I was informed that the DEL-ATQ leg was cancelled due to fog. I asked about a hotel, food or an alternative flight - all were rebuffed and I was informed that no flights would occur for two days. They also said I should find my own way home. I ended up booking an alternative flight with another domestic airline for a few hours later, which was happy to fly in the fog (at my own expense).

I have since read that the airline does not wish to incur costs to train pilots to use the relevant systems for the 'few' days of fog experienced each year. Furthermore, Air India have a fog policy offering airline credit for the affected leg but credit is not ideal and exact remuneration seems unclear in my case.

As this flight departed from the UK, what rights or compensation (if any) may be due? Many thanks in advance.

eskbanker

Assuming the trip was all booked through on a single ticket number, the UK261 regulations entitle you to the cost of the replacement domestic flight (in cash not credit) if Air India told you that they'd only fly you two days later, but unlikely that compensation would be payable over and above that, if the cancellation was due to "meteorological conditions incompatible with the operation of the flight concerned", which is deemed to be extraordinary circumstances beyond the airline's control.