Air passenger rights are getting their biggest rewrite since the current rules took effect in 2004, and the headline is what stays the same. Parliament approved the joint text from conciliation on 7 July 2026 by 646 votes to 12, with 3 abstentions. The Council had to confirm the text as well, and reports in July pointed to early August.
Under the revised air passenger rights, the three-hour delay threshold for cash compensation survives. So do the fixed amounts: EUR 250 for flights under 1,500 km, EUR 400 for 1,500 to 3,500 km and EUR 600 beyond that. The same sums apply to cancellations announced less than 14 days before departure and to denied boarding. Rapporteur Andrey Novakov, an EPP lawmaker from Bulgaria, called both points red lines and described the outcome as balanced.
Airlines gain some relief in the air passenger rights text. They can cut compensation by 50% on the longest routes if they reroute passengers to their final destination, or if the arrival delay is no more than four hours. They also avoid payouts when the disruption lies beyond their control, and the list of extraordinary circumstances stays open. It covers natural disasters, war, weather, unruly passengers and strikes at airports, air navigation or ground handling providers.
The practical gains in the air passenger rights package focus on claims. Airlines must send clear claim instructions within four days of a disrupted journey ending, and they have 30 days to pay or explain why no compensation is due. Passengers get nine months to file. Information about claims must not require an account or an app, and travellers who choose a refund over rerouting receive it automatically.
Care duties continue under the new text. Airlines must offer refreshments every two hours of waiting, a meal after three hours and accommodation for up to three nights where appropriate. They also cannot refuse a return flight because a traveller skipped the outbound leg, which ends a practice that has caught out many holidaymakers.
Families and reduced-mobility travellers get specific air passenger rights protections. Children under 14 must sit next to an accompanying adult at no charge, and the same applies to pregnant women and passengers with reduced mobility. Passengers who miss a flight because assistance fails can claim compensation, rerouting and help.
Hand luggage and ticket rules change as well. Every passenger may carry one free personal item, such as a small bag or backpack, on board. Airlines must show cabin-baggage charges more clearly in ticket prices, although they may still sell cheaper fares without hand luggage. Name corrections carry no fee, and digital boarding passes must work at check-in without an account or an app.
Reaction to the new air passenger rights was broadly positive. Virginijus Sinkevicius, a Greens vice-chair of the Transport and Tourism Committee, said passengers kept their existing rights and gained better protection for families and people with reduced mobility. Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said the deal balances consumer protection with legal certainty for aviation. Tomasz Pawliszyn, president of the APRA passenger group, called it a historic milestone but warned that the lack of inflation adjustment will need attention in future years.
The rules enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal, and airlines and member states then get one year to prepare. The Commission first proposed changes in 2013, and Council disagreements blocked the file for 13 years. At the airport, air passenger rights will look familiar, but a faster and clearer claims process should make them easier to use.
