d ▁a ▁defence ▁cit ing ▁extraordinary ▁circumstances ▁under ▁Fl ight ▁Del ay ▁Comp ens ation ▁Reg ulation ▁EU ▁ 2 6 1 / 2 0 0 4 . ▁ ▁Thom son ▁Air ways ▁Ltd ▁were ▁represented ▁by ▁Robert ▁Law son ▁Q C ▁of ▁Qu adr ant ▁Ch amb ers . ▁Mr ▁Daw son ▁appeared ▁as ▁a ▁lit ig ant ▁in ▁person . ▁ ▁The ▁matter ▁was ▁initially ▁listed ▁for ▁a ▁hearing ▁at ▁small ▁claims ▁court ▁in ▁Cambridge ▁but ▁when ▁the ▁court ▁recogn ised ▁the ▁complexity ▁of ▁the ▁argument , ▁the ▁matter ▁was ▁allocated ▁for ▁a ▁multi - track ▁hearing ▁with ▁a ▁time ▁estimate ▁of ▁ 1 ▁day . ▁The ▁matter ▁was ▁heard ▁before ▁His ▁Hon our ▁Judge ▁Y el ton ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁court ▁heard ▁that ▁Thom son ▁Air ways ▁Ltd ▁had ▁dropped ▁their ▁argument ▁of ▁' extra ordinary ▁circumstances '. ▁Instead , ▁accepting ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁li able ▁to ▁pay ▁Mr ▁Daw son ▁compens ation ▁had ▁he ▁brought ▁his ▁claim ▁within ▁two ▁years . ▁They ▁based ▁their ▁limitation ▁point ▁argument ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁case ▁of ▁Sid hu ▁v ▁British ▁Air ways ▁Pl c , ▁in ▁which ▁Lord ▁Hope ▁said : ▁ ▁" The ▁intention ▁seems ▁to ▁be ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁secure ▁regime , ▁within ▁which ▁the ▁restriction ▁on ▁the ▁car rier ’ s ▁freedom ▁of ▁contract ▁is ▁to ▁operate . ▁Ben ef its ▁are ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁passenger ▁in ▁return , ▁but ▁only ▁in ▁clearly ▁defined