New Agreement on Air Passenger Rights
After more than a decade of negotiations, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament have reached a deal to uphold air passengers' rights to free carry-on luggage and monetary compensation for flight delays. Under the updated rules, airlines will be required to pay 300 euros for delays on flights over 3,500 kilometers if the delay exceeds three hours. These changes are set to take effect in 2027.
Compensation amounts will remain unchanged from what airlines have been paying for nearly 20 years. In the EU, passengers can receive between 250 and 600 euros for canceled flights or delays longer than three hours. For journeys over 3,500 kilometers, airlines will pay 300 euros, with 600 euros due if the delay exceeds four hours or the flight is canceled. Travelers will also be allowed to bring a personal item measuring up to 40×30×15 centimeters for free, as well as a small wheeled suitcase with total dimensions of up to 100 centimeters and a weight limit of 7 kilograms.
Negotiations and Their Outcomes
Talks to revise European air passenger protection laws stretched over ten years, starting in 2013. The original air passenger rights legislation was adopted back in 2004. EU member states proposed raising the minimum delay threshold from three to four hours, but Germany, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain opposed this. Airlines pushed for compensation to only apply when delays reached at least five hours.
The agreement was struck between EU country ambassadors and Cyprus's presidency of the Council of the EU, which runs until the end of June. The European Parliament is expected to formally approve the deal on Monday. As one senior EU diplomat noted,
'the compensation levels remain what they have been for airlines for almost 20 years. This ensures predictability.'Another diplomat remarked that 'the old rules no longer met expectations.'
According to Virginijus Sinkevičius,
'revising the legislation has become not a matter of choice, but a necessity.'Notably, Ryanair carried over 183 million passengers in 2024, up from roughly 23 million annually in earlier years. Today, low-cost carriers dominate intra-European air travel, having built their business models around unbundling services that were once standard and charging separately for each.
This agreement marks a significant step in safeguarding air passenger rights, giving travelers greater confidence when flying. After lengthy negotiations, the new rules could positively impact the passenger experience, especially given the rise of low-cost airlines and shifts in airline business models. The implementation of these standards in 2027 reflects the EU's commitment to ensuring fairness and transparency in air travel, addressing modern consumer demands and expectations.
The recent agreement not only ensures compensation for delays but also highlights ongoing efforts to improve air travel regulations in Europe. For a deeper understanding of the implications of this compromise on flight delays and cancellations, you can read more about the EU's negotiations on passenger compensation.