Passengers travelling across Europe will continue to be entitled to compensation for flight delays of more than three hours after European lawmakers agreed to maintain the existing threshold in the European Union’s updated air passenger rights framework.
Long-Running Reform Efforts Conclude
The agreement, reached between the European Parliament and EU member states on June 15, brings an end to more than a decade of discussions over whether airlines should face reduced compensation obligations for delayed flights.
Under the current rules, passengers delayed by more than three hours at their final destination can claim compensation ranging from 250 euros to 600 euros depending on flight distance. The system has been in place since 2004 and will remain largely unchanged under the revised framework.
The decision follows years of debate between airlines and consumer groups. Carriers had argued that the existing compensation regime placed a financial burden on operations and called for greater flexibility, while consumer advocates pushed to preserve passenger protections.
More than a decade ago, the European Commission proposed increasing the delay threshold and reducing compensation levels. However, lawmakers ultimately rejected those changes and opted to retain the current three-hour benchmark.
The agreement also confirms that compensation levels will remain at 250 euros for flights up to 1,500 kilometres, 400 euros for certain medium-haul routes, and 600 euros for longer journeys.
Additional Passenger Protections Introduced
Alongside maintaining compensation rights, lawmakers agreed on several additional measures designed to strengthen passenger protections.
Children will continue to be entitled to sit next to an accompanying adult without additional charges, while airlines will be required to provide clearer support for passengers affected by missed connections. Airlines will also be prohibited from requiring passengers to download a mobile application in order to access a boarding pass.
The updated rules are also intended to simplify the compensation process. Airlines will be required to provide clearer information about passenger rights and respond to compensation claims within specified timeframes.
The outcome represents a victory for consumer groups, which had warned that increasing delay thresholds would significantly reduce the number of passengers eligible for compensation.
Airlines had argued that easing compensation requirements would help improve competitiveness and reduce operating costs, particularly as carriers continue to face challenges including aircraft delivery delays, labour shortages and air traffic management disruptions.
For travellers, however, the agreement ensures that one of Europe’s most established passenger protection measures will remain in place as air travel demand continues to grow across the region.
What do you think about the EU’s decision to maintain flight delay compensation rights? Have you ever successfully claimed compensation after a delayed flight? Let us know your experiences in the comments below.
