Virgin Atlantic has been forced to pay €60,000 (£47,600) compensation to a group of 101 air passengers who were delayed for over 26 hours on a flight from America to the UK. Sir Richard Branson's airline made the payout following last month’s Huzar ruling at the Court of Appeal, which stated that airlines cannot reject claims for delays caused by technical defects. The holidaymakers were delayed when flight VS16 - travelling from Orlando, Florida to London Gatwick in October 2012 - developed a fault. Grounded: Holidaymakers were delayed on a flight from Florida to London in 2012 after the aircraft's fire detector circuit developed a fault (stock image) +7 Grounded: Holidaymakers were delayed on a flight from Florida to London in 2012 after the aircraft's fire detector circuit developed a fault (stock image) Lengthy delay: The passengers said they were due to board their flight at 7.35pm on 27 October but had to wait until the next day to depart +7 Lengthy delay: The passengers said they were due to board their flight at 7.35pm on 27 October but had to wait until the next day to depart The disgruntled passengers set up a Facebook page to publicise their ordeal, which was caused by a fault with the aircraft's fire detector circuit. They were due to board the aircraft at 6.40pm but had to wait until 9.20pm to take their seats. At 10.15pm the captain informed the passengers that the problem had still not been fixed and that they would have to disembark the aircraft. More... A virtual tour guide, travel maps and photos with the blink of an eye: How Google Glass will revolutionise the way we holiday (you just need to work out how to use it first) Bahamas beach from THAT Daniel Craig Bond scene 'under threat' from fashion tycoon Peter Nygard... who plans to build anti-aging research centre on the coast Ban on term-time family holidays is 'hurting' British tourism, claim Cornish businesses... as hotel group goes into administration The holidaymakers were given a hotel room near the terminal for the night but claimed that they had to join a lengthy queue to check in and did not get their room keys until around 2am. They also said that they could not use the food vouchers they had been issued as there wasn’t enough food available at the hotel, or enough staff to serve them. Urgent repair work: Flight VS16 developed a fault with its fire detector circuit +7 Urgent repair work: Flight VS16 developed a fault with its fire detector circuit The passengers were give a hotel room for the night but said they had to join a lengthy queue to check in +7 The passengers were give a hotel room for the night but said they had to join a lengthy queue to check in The group was picked up from their hotel the following day at 1.30pm and taken to the airport where they checked in at 2.30pm. They were eventually allowed to board the aircraft at 8.15pm and departed at 9.35pm, landing at Gatwick airport at 9.49am, more than 26 hours later than scheduled. After contacting the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) the group was told that they had a valid claim for compensation under EU Regulation 261 but was later told that their flight did not qualify for this compensation. Long queues at the hotel meant that many holidaymakers didn't get their room key until 2am +7 Long queues at the hotel meant that many holidaymakers didn't get their room key until 2am The passengers then contacted specialist flight delay law firm Bott & Co in November 2013, who issued group proceedings. The cases was initially delayed pending the outcome of the Huzar v Jet2.com case in which air passenger Ron Huzar, 58, took airline Jet2 to court to claim compensation for a delayed flight from Manchester to Malaga in 2011. Mr Huzar's flight was delayed by 27 hours because of a wiring defect. Jet2 had claimed that under EU laws this defect constituted 'extraordinary circumstances' that allows them to deny claims. However, Court of Appeal judges ruled that such technical faults are 'inherent in the running of an airline' and as such cannot be considered extraordinary. Virgin Atlantic was forced to pay €600 (£476) compensation to each passenger on the delayed VS16 flight following the ruling. Kevin Clarke, Aviation Lawyer at Bott & Co, said: ‘We are delighted to have been able to reach a settlement for these passengers. ‘Since winning the case for our client Mr Huzar, we have seen a general trend towards airlines settling claims that have been on hold for months. 'This is great news for consumers and we hope this signals the dawn of a new era of a much easier and smoother process for claiming flight delay compensation.’ A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic told MailOnline Travel: 'As a gesture of goodwill Virgin Atlantic has settled some existing court cases that were previously stayed pending the Court of Appeal decision in Huzar. 'Going forward, the lasting impact of the Huzar decision on new cases remains uncertain and we are continuing to monitor developments in this area closely.' Standing room only: The queue to check in to the hotel snaked out onto the driveway +7 Standing room only: The queue to check in to the hotel snaked out onto the driveway Campaign: The disgruntled passengers set up a Facebook group to publicise their ordeal +7 Campaign: The disgruntled passengers set up a Facebook group to publicise their ordeal The CAA said that passengers can ask airlines to review their compensation claims in the wake of the Court of Appeal ruling. Rules state that passengers who reach their destination more than three hours late can claim up to €600 (£494) plus expenses, per person, if the delay is within the airline's control. The case could open the door to hundreds of thousands of claims that have previously been turned down by airlines. However, Jet2 has already announced its intention to appeal again against the decision, this time by taking it to the Supreme Court, and the CAA has warned that airlines might delay processing claims until the outcome of that case. The CAA initially caused consternation among passenger representatives on Friday when they said that rejected claims could not be retrospectively reviewed in the wake of the Huzar case. However, after checking the law again, it changed its stance. A spokesman said: 'The CAA apologises that our earlier advice was not clear. We will contact passengers who have previously sought our help to provide advice on the matter. The CAA will also provide guidance on the judgment to airlines.'

Most mothers would be shouting from the rooftops if their daughter snagged George Clooney.

But the mom of Clooney's fiancée, Amal Alamuddin, is not so impressed with her daughter’s choice - and instead wanted her to marry within their strict Lebanese religious sect, according to close family friends.

High-profile human-rights lawyer Amal, 37, was born in Beirut to a prominent and highly respected family within the Druze sect, a medieval offshoot of Islam, who are forbidden to marry outsiders. For traditional Druze families intermarriage results in excommunication and social boycott.

It's all in the genes: Stunning Amal Alamuddin is seen with her mom, Baria Alamuddin at Milan Airport after the pair visited George Clooney's Lake Como retreat last month

Fled: Baria and Ramzi Alamuddin fled war-torn Beirut with their young daughter Amal and moved to the UK. Baria now lives in Buckinghamshire, UK, while Ramzi moved back to Lebanon in 1991

Family affair: George Clooney stepped out to dinner with his fiance Amal Alamuddin and parents Nick and Nina on Wednesday in Lake Como, Italy

And a Lebanese friend of the family in London, where Amal was raised and Baria still lives, told MailOnline: ‘You would think Amal has hit the jackpot with George Clooney, but Baria is not happy.

'She thinks Amal can do better. She has been telling half of Beirut, in fact anyone that will listen, there are five hundred thousand Druze. Are none of them good enough for her?'.

There can be harsh penalties for those Druze who marry outsiders. Several women have been murdered for disobeying the rules. Last year a Sunni Muslim man had his penis severed by the male relatives of a Druze woman who defied her family by marrying him.

The friend added: ‘There have a been a few jokes in the family about the same thing happening to George!'

Druze make up around five per cent of Lebanon and number about a million worldwide, a community that is gradually shrinking as you cannot convert to be a Druze - and are only considered a member of the religion only if both your parents are Druze.

Those who marry outside the religion are cast out of the community and not allowed to return. Druze sheikhs will cut them off and refuse to pray over their grave when they die.

If George and Amal have children she will be unable to pass on her religion to them.

Their wedding, thought to be taking place near Lake Como on September 12 will not be a Druze wedding and Druze sheiks will not officiate, as Amal will be considered to be leaving the community and taking on the traditions of her husband, the source explained.

A civil wedding may offer a loophole in that she may be allowed to keep her religion.

The Alamuddin are a feudal aristocratic family that trace their roots back to the 14th century. The family still owns vast landsand and their ancestral home is one of the grandest in the mountain village of Ba’qalien, where Amal's father, Ramzi was born and raised. 

Still, Baria flew to Clooney's Italian villa on Lake Como over the weekend of June 21 and 22, where according to People, Clooney, 53, put on the charm and the visit was a success.

'They were outside, and Amal and her mom were smiling.It was going pretty great,' a source said.

'Amal's mom left the next day, and at the airport they just looked so happy.'

Amal, whose clients include under-fire Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, was then seen accompanying her mother to Milan airport on Monday, June 23.

A nice night out: The movie star's family and friends joined the happy couple for dinner

Satisfied customer: The 53-year-old looked to have enjoyed the evening out

Just a day later, Clooney's parents Nick and Nina Clooney arrived at Lake Como from their home in Kentucky to help with wedding plans - missing Baria.

Wearing a dapper dark toned suit and matching shirt  (sans tie), the Ocean's Eleven actor sported black leather dress shoes as he enjoyed the night out with his loved ones.

George’s mother Nina, a former beauty queen and councilwoman, and former anchorman and game show host father Nick, were spotted visiting the luxurious Hotel Bellagio.

They couldn’t have looked more pleased for the Oscar winner as they giggled away on a boat ride to the resort.

Clooney and Amal are believed to have checked out Hotel Villa D’Este at Cernobbio, which is famous for organizing high-profile weddings, and enjoyed a romantic dinner there.
But the Gravity star may well tie the knot with Amal at his own home.
Laws have been put in place by the Lake Como mayor to guarantee George’s privacy at his $42 million mansion, and are in operation 24 hours a day until September 30.
Pedestrians are banned from stopping on the road outside the 30-bedroom property, while anyone caught swimming within 100 metres of it will be fined up to £770.
Nina has previously expressed her fondness for her future daughter-in-law, who she has met several times, telling MailOnline: ‘You can say I’m extremely happy. Amal’s a lovely girl. I like her very much.’

Planning: Clooney's aunt Starla Clooney told how his parents were flying to Italy to help their Oscar winner son plan his September wedding

Nick, who turned 80 this year, will be celebrating his 55th wedding anniversary with Nina, 74, in August. 

Striking Amal was just two when she moved from Beirut to London at the time of the civil war.

The brunette, who is now a British citizen, was brought up by her mother Baria and father Ramzi, who moved back to

Baria, 66, is the foreign editor of Al Hayat, a widely-read Arab newspaper, and has made numerous appearances as an analyst on Middle Eastern affairs on CNN and Al-Jazeera as well as CNBC, the BBC and Sky News in the UK.

Her beauty was said to be so striking that she has been said to resemble Elizabeth Taylor - while the poet Said Aki praised her 'Greek' beauty in poem.

She has interviewed numerous heads of state including King Hamad Bin Issa Alkhalifa, President Hosni Moubarak, King Hussain of Jordan, Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President Fidel Castro - and was the last journalist to talk to Indira Gandhi before she died.

George and Amal enjoy evening out in Malibu in May

Not long now: George Clooney will marry Amal Alamuddin in Italy in September.The pair are pictured together in Malibu in May

She once said: 'I speak on behalf of moderate Muslims who are being cast aside in this war against terrorism.'

And it would seem that Amal comes from good stock as her grandmother was the first woman graduate of the American University in Beirut.
It is believed that Baria and Ramzi fled Lebanon at the time of the civil war, however, Ramzi moved back in 1991.
Ramzi was formerly a university professor and is the ex-vice president of the American University of Beirut.

DM