New EU air passenger rights will provide greater transparency over ticket prices and faster compensation for flight delays, under rules formally approved by the European Parliament last week.
The agreement has a strong Cyprus connection, as it was reached during the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU. The new rules are expected to apply from next July, as previously estimated by Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades.
The rules were approved by the European Parliament last Tuesday with 646 votes in favour, 12 against and three abstentions, following changes agreed with the Council of the EU through the Conciliation Committee.
They revise rules in place since 2004 and aim to better protect passengers when problems arise during travel, including denied boarding, delays and flight cancellations.
Compensation rights maintained
Under the new EU air passenger rights, travellers will continue to be entitled to a refund or rerouting in the event of a cancellation.
Passengers will also continue to be able to claim compensation for delays of more than three hours, if a flight is cancelled with less than 14 days’ notice or if they are denied boarding.
Compensation will remain at current levels and will be calculated according to flight distance: €250 for flights of up to 1,500km; €400 for intra-EU flights of more than 1,500km and other flights between 1,500km and 3,500km; and €600 for all other longer-distance flights.
For long-haul flights, airlines will be able to reduce compensation by 50% if passengers are offered rerouting to their final destination and their arrival delay does not exceed four hours.
Airlines will not be required to pay compensation when delays or cancellations are caused by extraordinary circumstances beyond their control.
The new rules include an indicative list of such circumstances, including natural disasters, wars, adverse weather conditions, disruptive passengers and strikes at airports, air navigation services or ground-handling companies.
Food, refreshments and accommodation
Airlines will remain required to assist passengers who cannot continue their journey.
They must provide refreshments for every two hours of waiting, a meal after three hours and, when necessary, accommodation for up to three nights if the delay is caused by circumstances beyond the airline’s control.
Faster and easier refunds
MEPs insisted that the refund process should become faster and simpler.
Passengers who choose a refund instead of rerouting will receive it automatically, while those who experience travel disruption must be given clear instructions on how to claim compensation no later than four days after completing their journey.
This information must be made available without requiring a user account or a specific app.
Passengers will have nine months to submit a compensation claim. Airlines, meanwhile, will have 30 days to either pay the compensation or justify their refusal by citing extraordinary circumstances.
They will also be required to inform passengers about available procedures for filing and examining complaints.
More rights for air travellers
Under the new rules, passengers will be able to use their return flight even if they did not take the outbound flight, without paying an additional charge.
The EU air passenger rights reforms will also guarantee passengers the right to carry one personal item, such as a small bag or backpack, at no extra cost.
For greater transparency and easier price comparisons, airlines, intermediaries and search engines will be required to display the ticket price alongside the cost of cabin baggage from the beginning of the booking process.
Airlines will still be allowed to offer cheaper fares to passengers who choose to travel without cabin baggage.
Passengers will no longer face additional charges for correcting spelling mistakes in their names or for receiving a printed boarding pass, provided they have already checked in.
MEPs also secured rules requiring boarding passes to be available digitally without passengers having to make a specific request, create a user account or use a particular app.
Airlines will also be prohibited from denying boarding because a passenger uses a printed copy of a digitally issued boarding pass.
Stronger protection for vulnerable passengers
Passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility will be entitled to compensation, rerouting and necessary assistance from the airline if they miss their flight because an airport failed to help them reach the boarding gate on time.
The new rules also ensure that families are not separated when seats are allocated.
Airlines will be required to seat every accompanying adult next to a child under the age of 14 at no extra cost. The same right will apply to passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility, as well as pregnant passengers.
These measures form part of the broader strengthening of EU air passenger rights, with particular emphasis on people who may need additional assistance when travelling.
What happens next
Following approval by the European Parliament, the agreement reached in the Conciliation Committee must also be formally endorsed by the Council under the third-reading procedure by early August 2026.
The new rules will enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Member states and airlines will then have one year to prepare for their implementation.
Virginijus Sinkevičius, vice-chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism, said the agreement ensured passengers would not lose their existing rights while providing better protection for families, people with reduced mobility and others who need it most.
Rapporteur Andrey Novakov described the vote as a victory for both passengers and European aviation.
“After more than 13 years of deadlock, we are finally replacing uncertainty with clear rules, stronger rights and confidence. When people board a plane, they will not leave their rights behind,” he said.
Also read: Iran strikes Cyprus-flagged ship and shuts Strait of Hormuz as US retaliates
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