BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / RankWire.AI / – The European Union has approved a comprehensive update to air passenger rights, addressing delays, cancellations, baggage, and denied boarding. The Council of the European Union finalized the legislative process on July 13, 2026. The European Parliament had endorsed the agreement six days earlier. The approval was carried by 646 votes in favor, 12 against, with three abstentions. This new regulation signifies the most significant overhaul of EU air travel protections in over twenty years.
Passengers will continue to have rights to compensation if flights arrive more than three hours late. The protections also apply to cancellations announced fewer than 14 days prior to departure. Passengers denied boarding are covered under the same provisions. Compensation remains €250 for flights up to 1,500 kilometres, increasing to €400 for longer intra-EU routes and journeys up to 3,500 kilometres. For eligible longer flights, compensation can reach €600.
Airlines are permitted to reduce compensation by 50% on the longest routes if rerouted passengers arrive within four hours of the scheduled time. They can deny claims if extraordinary circumstances caused the disruption, including extreme weather, natural calamities, war, unruly passengers, or certain strikes. Despite disruptions, airlines are still required to provide care, including refreshments, meals, internet access, two phone calls, and necessary hotel accommodations.
Streamlined claims process introduced
The new regulation establishes a faster, more organized process for handling claims from disrupted travelers. Airlines must send claim instructions electronically within four days after the journey concludes. Passengers will have nine months to submit their compensation requests. Carriers are required to acknowledge each claim promptly and must either pay the compensation or issue a detailed refusal within 30 days. The refusal must also specify how the passenger can contest the decision.
Airlines are obligated to offer rerouting at the earliest possible opportunity, potentially using another carrier or suitable ground transport. If no suitable alternative is available within three hours, passengers are entitled to organize their own travel and request reimbursement up to four times the original ticket price. Airlines must provide comparable travel conditions and avoid unnecessary connections, and they must reimburse reasonable care expenses within 14 calendar days.
Enhanced baggage and seating rights
All passengers will have the right to carry one personal item at no additional charge, which can include a small backpack, handbag, or laptop bag. Booking platforms are required to display fares that include a hand baggage allowance first. Airlines may still offer cheaper tickets without this allowance. Airlines are also prohibited from canceling a return booking solely because the passenger missed the outbound flight, and cannot charge passengers for correcting minor spelling errors in their names.
Families traveling with children under 14 will be provided with adjacent seating free of charge. The rules also reinforce assistance for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility, and extend protections for mobility equipment, pregnant travelers, and unaccompanied minors. The scope of EU passenger rights includes flights within the EU, all departures from EU airports, and arrivals operated by EU carriers. The regulation will come into effect 12 months and 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.