Five major airlines face enforcement action from the UK aviation regulator for "systematically" denying passengers compensation for late flights.

American Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines have all been notified of legal action brought by the British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) after they failed to pay out for delays that resulted in passengers missing connecting flights.

That is in breach of European consumer law which says that passengers are entitled to compensation for delays that result in them being over three hours late - unless the hold-up is caused by "extraordinary circumstances".

Airlines are also liable if their late running causes a passenger to miss another linked flight which means they end up reaching their final destination over the three hour limit.

Richard Moriarty, Director of Consumers and Markets at the CAA, said any disruption was frustrating but delays which caused passengers to then miss connections could have "a particularly damaging effect on people's travel plans".

The law applies to most flights in and out of Europe even if the operator is based outside the continent.

The CAA's data revealed that Emirates had the most complaints for non-payments to passengers for delays that led to them missing another plane.

It also announced action against the Spanish low-cost carrier Veuling for failures to meet the legal minimum standards for passenger care and assistance during disruptions.

Under EU law passengers can claim compensation of up to €600 (£506) for air journeys that are delayed for three hours or more.

The law covers journeys starting or ending in Europe as well as flights operated by companies based in the EU or a number of other countries - check the CAA website for the full list of countries covered.

Anyone who believes they are eligible for compensation should raise a claim directly with the airline operating their flight.