EU adopts new airline passenger rights to take effect in 2027

The European Union’s Council of Ministers formally approved a comprehensive overhaul of air‑passenger rights. The new regulation will become legally binding 12 months and 20 days after publication, expected in mid‑2027. Compensation amounts for flights delayed three hours or more, or cancelled less than 14 days before departure, remain at €250, €400 or €600 depending on distance, and apply only when the airline is at fault.

New passenger protections include free seat‑reservation for children under 14, pregnant travellers and persons with reduced mobility when travelling with an accompanying adult. Airlines must correct spelling errors on tickets at no cost, provide printed boarding passes without charge, and display the full price of a ticket—including standard hand‑baggage—on their booking pages. The rules also ban the “no‑show” practice that allowed airlines to cancel the return leg of a round‑trip ticket if the outbound leg was unused.

Air carriers are required to inform passengers of their rights in writing within 96 hours after a disrupted flight and to respond to compensation claims within 30 days. Passengers have nine months to lodge a claim. The regulation defines a standard free‑hand‑bag size of 40 × 30 × 15 cm and obliges airlines to show this allowance in price displays. The reforms affect all flights departing from or arriving at EU airports when operated by an EU‑registered airline.