European Union Introduces New Rules on Air Passenger Rights

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The European Union is introducing new rules on air passenger rights, significantly changing the framework for delays, cancellations, missed connections and other problems during air travel.

Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 sets out more precise obligations for airlines, covering compensation of up to €600, refunds, hotel accommodation, food and alternative transport. It also introduces new rules on cabin baggage, passenger name corrections, seating for parents and children, and assistance for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility.

The new provisions will apply from 23 October 2027 and cover a wide range of situations that can arise when a flight does not operate according to its original schedule.

Compensation and refunds

1. Compensation for delays of more than three hours

Passengers will have an explicit right to compensation when they reach their final destination more than three hours late.

2. Compensation from €250 to €600

The compensation will depend on the distance travelled. It will amount to €250 for flights of up to 1,500 kilometres, €400 for intra-EU flights over 1,500 kilometres and other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometres, and €600 for longer distances.

3. Refund after five hours of delay

If a departure delay reaches five hours, passengers can request a refund instead of continuing their journey.

4. Refunds within seven days

When passengers choose a refund, the airline must pay it within seven calendar days. The refund covers the full ticket price and, where applicable, relevant intermediary fees.

5. Airlines cannot impose vouchers

Airlines can offer vouchers instead of cash refunds, but they need the passenger’s explicit consent. Airlines cannot make a voucher the default option or make it more difficult for passengers to choose a refund.

6. Unused vouchers must also be refunded

Vouchers will generally remain valid for up to 12 months, with the possibility of one agreed extension. If a voucher expires without being fully used, the airline must refund the remaining balance within seven days.

When the airline cannot transport you

7. Three hours to arrange alternative transport

If a disruption occurs and a passenger chooses to continue the journey, the airline will have a specific period to arrange another flight or another means of transport under comparable conditions.

If the airline fails to provide a solution within three hours, the passenger can arrange alternative transport independently.

8. You can book another flight yourself

After the three-hour period expires, passengers can arrange alternative transport themselves after informing the airline.

The expenses must be necessary, reasonable and appropriate, and the airline must reimburse them within 14 days. The reimbursement can reach up to 400% of the full ticket price and applicable intermediary fees.

What happens during lengthy waits

9. New rules for passengers kept on board

During a lengthy tarmac delay, airlines must ensure, among other things, a suitable cabin temperature, access to toilets and, as a general rule, free drinking water.

10. Passengers can disembark after two hours

If a tarmac delay reaches two hours at an airport in an EU member state, the aircraft must move to a gate or another suitable location to allow passengers to disembark, subject to safety restrictions.

11. Food and drinks every two hours

Airlines will face more specific obligations. They must provide free light meals and drinks every two hours of waiting, with a meal provided after three hours and subsequently every five hours, up to a maximum of three meals per day.

12. Free internet and two telephone calls

Passenger-care obligations will expressly include internet access and two telephone calls.

13. Hotel accommodation when an overnight stay is required

If a disruption forces passengers to stay overnight before their next flight or alternative transport, the airline must provide free hotel accommodation and transport to and from the airport.

14. Up to three nights in extraordinary circumstances

When a disruption results from extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided, hotel coverage may be limited to three nights.

The restriction does not apply in the same way to certain vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities or reduced mobility, unaccompanied minors, infants, pregnant women and, under certain conditions, people requiring special medical assistance.

Cabin baggage and ticket changes

15. Free personal item in the cabin

Passengers will have the right to carry one personal item without an additional charge. The item can measure a maximum of 40 x 30 x 15 centimetres or fit underneath the seat in front.

16. Wheeled cabin baggage will not automatically be free

The new regulation does not abolish fares that exclude a wheeled cabin bag.

However, airlines must display the fare that includes cabin baggage by default before passengers complete their booking, allowing consumers to compare the actual cost.

If an airline has to place an permitted cabin bag in the hold because of capacity restrictions or an aircraft change, it cannot charge an additional fee.

17. Free correction of a spelling mistake in a passenger’s name

A simple spelling mistake in a passenger’s name should not result in an additional charge. If the request is submitted up to 48 hours before departure, the airline must correct spelling mistakes or make the relevant administrative update at least once free of charge.

The provision does not cover changing the person travelling or transferring the ticket to another person.

Downgrades and compensation

18. Refunds when passengers are downgraded

If passengers receive a higher class than the one they purchased, the airline cannot charge them extra.

If the airline moves them to a lower class, it must provide an automatic refund within 14 days. The refund will amount to at least 30% of the flight price for journeys of up to 1,500 kilometres, 50% for most intermediate distances and 75% for longer flights.

19. Nine months to submit a compensation claim

Passengers will have nine months from the departure date shown on their ticket to submit a compensation claim.

The airline must acknowledge receipt and, within 30 calendar days, either pay the compensation or explain why it has rejected the claim.

20. New complaints procedure

Airlines and intermediaries must establish a complaints-handling mechanism.

Passengers can submit a complaint within 12 months of the flight or the date on which it should have operated, or within three months of a compensation request, depending on which date falls later.

The airline or intermediary must acknowledge receipt within seven working days and provide a reasoned response within one month. In specially justified cases, the final response can take up to two months.

Missed connections and travelling with children

21. Missed connection: the airline must find a solution

If passengers miss a connection because of a problem with their earlier flight, the airline must arrange another flight or another means of transport.

If it cannot find a solution within five hours, it must also offer a refund. A delay of more than three hours at the final destination may create a right to compensation.

22. Parents and children in adjacent seats

Airlines must allow an accompanying adult travelling with a child under the same contract of carriage to sit in an adjacent seat without an additional charge.

If adjacent seats are unavailable, the airline must make efforts to seat parents and children together.

23. Children can use their pushchair up to the gate

Infants and children can use their pushchair without an additional charge up to the gate or aircraft door. The rules also provide priority boarding for children travelling with a pushchair and their accompanying adults.

Special protection and airport services

24. Additional protection for passengers with disabilities

Airlines must provide information in accessible formats. During disruptions, passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility will receive additional assistance and faster service.

When arranging alternative transport, airlines must also avoid additional connections for these passengers where possible.

25. Free water and mobile charging

All EU airports with commercial passenger traffic will have to provide free drinking water and charging stations for electronic devices.

The requirement will apply regardless of the time of day, the flight or the terminal where the passenger is located.

What the new rules mean for passengers

The new regulation aims to make passenger rights clearer when flights are delayed, cancelled or fail to operate as scheduled.

Airlines will face specific deadlines for refunds, compensation payments and responses to complaints. The rules also strengthen passenger protections during lengthy waits, missed connections and situations requiring alternative transport.

At the same time, the regulation limits practices such as imposing vouchers instead of refunds and establishes clearer rules on cabin baggage, name corrections and family seating.

In cases involving extraordinary circumstances, an airline will not automatically escape its compensation obligations. It must demonstrate a direct causal link between the extraordinary event and the flight disruption and show that it could not have avoided the disruption even by taking all reasonable measures.

The new rules are not yet in force. The key date is 23 October 2027, when Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 will begin to apply across the European Union.

This version keeps the 25-point structure from the Greek article while making the English copy more readable, active and suitable for publication.

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