Zaventem: The revised air passenger rights regulation entered into force on 22 October 2026, and airlines now have roughly a year to rebuild their booking, refund and claims systems before the new air passenger rights apply in full. Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 appeared in the Official Journal on 2 October 2026, after Parliament approved the joint text on 7 July and the Council gave final clearance on 13 July.

The reform ends a negotiation that began in 2013. Parliament’s third-reading text of 7 July 2026 amends Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 2027/97. Legal analysts date full application to around October 2027, so passengers will not see every change at the next check-in desk.

Compensation stays the biggest battleground. The joint text keeps the three-hour arrival delay trigger and sets payments of EUR 250 for journeys up to 1,500 km, EUR 400 for longer intra-Union flights and other trips up to 3,500 km, and EUR 600 for the rest. Airlines had lobbied for higher delay thresholds, and Parliament refused to accept them.

The regulation also adds rules that passengers can feel immediately. Carriers must let travellers bring a personal item of up to 40 x 30 x 15 cm free of charge, and they must show the hand baggage allowance before booking. A new ban on no-show penalties stops airlines from cancelling a return leg because a traveller skipped the outbound flight under the same contract.

Deadlines for money now bite harder. Airlines must reimburse cancelled or denied-boarding tickets within seven calendar days and acknowledge compensation claims at once, then pay or justify a refusal within 30 days. Passengers get nine months from departure to file, according to the Council joint text PE-CONS 39/26.

Extraordinary circumstances, the airline defence that shaped thousands of court cases, now sit in a list annexed to the regulation. The carrier must prove a direct causal link and show it took all reasonable measures. Accommodation duties can be capped at three nights, a limit consumer groups criticised during the talks.

The industry has not softened its stance. IATA Director General Willie Walsh said in June that the deal “misses the mark” and pointed to an annual EU261 burden of EUR 8 billion. Airlines for Europe warned earlier that costs could double, and carriers now expect higher fares on short routes.

Consumer organisations see the opposite picture. They argue that clearer deadlines, electronic rights notices within 96 hours and a firmer definition of extraordinary circumstances will shorten disputes. The Commission must review the framework every five years, including delay thresholds and the automation of claims, which keeps the pressure on both sides.

For travellers booking winter and summer 2027 trips, the practical advice is simple. Current rules still apply until the new air passenger rights take over next autumn, so keep records of delays and refund requests. Once the regulation applies, the strengthened air passenger rights give passengers a shorter path to cash.