EU adopts comprehensive overhaul of airline passenger rights

The European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional agreement to revise the EU legislation governing airline passenger rights, the first update since its adoption in 2004. The new rules keep the three‑hour delay threshold for compensation and introduce tiered payouts of €250, €400 or €600 depending on flight distance. They also ban the "no‑show" practice that allowed carriers to cancel return tickets when the first leg was unused.

The package strengthens assistance obligations, requiring airlines to provide meals, drinks and up to three nights of accommodation during long delays, and it expands protections for vulnerable travellers – children under 14, pregnant passengers, and persons with disabilities receive free seating beside their companions. Transparency measures will force carriers and booking platforms to display the full ticket price, including hand‑luggage fees, from the start of the search.

Compensation claims must be processed more quickly, with airlines notifying passengers within four days of travel and responding to requests within 30 days. Exemptions from payment are limited to clearly defined extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather, natural disasters, war or air‑traffic‑control strikes. The agreement was approved unanimously by the Parliament’s delegation and is awaiting final approval by the European Parliament and Council. Statements from EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos G., Parliament President Roberta Metsola and Cyprus Transport Minister Alex Bafea highlighted the balance between passenger protection and industry competitiveness.