BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / RankWire.AI / – The European Union has approved its first major overhaul of air passenger rights in more than two decades. The Council of the European Union gave final clearance on July 13, after the European Parliament approved the compromise on July 7. Lawmakers backed the text by 646 votes to 12, with three abstentions. The rules address delays, cancellations, denied boarding, rerouting, passenger assistance, baggage and airline liability. They will apply 12 months and 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Passengers will keep the right to compensation when flights reach their destination more than three hours late. The same protection applies when airlines cancel a flight fewer than 14 days before departure or deny boarding. Payments remain €250 for journeys up to 1,500 kilometres. The amount rises to €400 for longer intra-EU flights and other journeys between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometres. Other longer journeys can qualify for €600 under the regulation.
Airlines may reduce compensation by 50% on the longest journeys when rerouted passengers arrive no more than four hours late. Carriers can refuse compensation when extraordinary circumstances cause the disruption. The regulation includes an open list covering natural disasters, war, severe weather, unruly passengers and certain external strikes. Airlines must still provide care during qualifying disruptions. That support includes refreshments every two hours, a meal after three hours, internet access, two phone calls and necessary overnight accommodation.
Simpler claims and rerouting
Passengers who choose reimbursement instead of rerouting will receive it automatically under the new system. Airlines must send clear claim instructions within four days after a disrupted journey ends. Travellers will have nine months to file a compensation request. The carrier must immediately acknowledge the claim and respond within 30 days. It must either pay the compensation or explain the refusal and identify the available complaint process.
Airlines must offer rerouting at the earliest opportunity, including through other carriers or suitable transport modes. When no appropriate option arrives within three hours, passengers may arrange their own route. They can seek reimbursement of up to four times the original ticket price. Carriers must provide comparable travel conditions. They cannot force several connections on a passenger who booked a direct flight. Airlines must repay necessary, reasonable and proportionate care expenses within 14 calendar days.
New baggage and seating protections
The law adds a right to carry one personal item, such as a small bag or backpack, without extra cost. Booking platforms must initially display fares that include a hand baggage allowance. Airlines may also sell cheaper tickets to travellers who choose not to take hand luggage. Carriers cannot cancel a return journey solely because the passenger missed the outbound flight. They also cannot charge a fee to restore that booking. The rules bar charges for correcting spelling mistakes in passenger names.
Families travelling with children under 14 will gain adjacent seating without extra charges. Passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility will receive stronger rights to assistance, rerouting and compensation. The framework also protects essential mobility equipment and extends safeguards to pregnant travellers and unaccompanied minors. EU passenger rights apply to flights within the bloc, departures from the EU and arrivals operated by EU airlines. The reform updates rules in force since 2004, following a European Commission proposal issued in 2013.