European Union transport ministers on Thursday reached a political agreement to revise the bloc’s air passenger rights rules, marking the first major update in over a decade to protections for travelers facing delays, cancellations or lost flights.
The agreement aims to simplify existing rules, add over 30 new passenger rights, and ensure more consistent enforcement across member states. It follows years of stalled negotiations and growing calls from both passengers and airlines for clearer, more modern regulations.
“This is a historic milestone,” said Poland’s Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak. “After 12 years of negotiations, we are finally delivering modern, fair and clear rules for passengers.”
Under the Council’s position, passengers will have stronger entitlements to rerouting, assistance and compensation when flights are delayed or canceled. Airlines would be required to offer rerouting options within three hours, including with other carriers or transport modes. If they fail to do so, passengers may arrange their own travel and claim reimbursement of up to 400% of the original ticket price.
The new rules would also set revised compensation levels:
€300 for delays of four hours or more on journeys under 3,500 kilometers or within the EU
€500 for delays of six hours or more on longer flights
Passengers would also be entitled to compensation if notified of a flight cancellation less than 14 days before departure. In those cases, airlines would be required to provide pre-filled claim forms.
The Council proposal includes a crackdown on so-called “no-show” policies, ensuring compensation for passengers denied boarding on return flights due to missing their outbound leg.
In addition, the deal would clarify passengers’ rights to food, refreshments and accommodation during disruptions, and introduce stricter obligations for airlines to respond to complaints. Passengers would have six months to submit a claim, and airlines would have 14 days to respond or pay compensation.
The agreement will now move to the European Parliament for a second reading. Lawmakers can approve, amend or reject the Council’s position before the regulation is finalized.
The European Commission first proposed updating the regulations in 2013 to address confusion over compensation and liability in the air travel sector. The current rules, which cover denied boarding, delays, cancellations and baggage issues, have been criticized for inconsistent interpretation and weak enforcement.