New EU Rules to Strengthen Air Passenger Rights: What Will Change?

The European Union has adopted the most significant reform of its air passenger rights framework in more than thirteen years. The European Parliament approved the new rules on 7 July 2026, and the Council of the European Union gave its final approval on 13 July 2026.

The new legislation builds on the existing system of passenger protection established by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and addresses a number of practical and interpretative issues that have arisen during its application over the years. The reform aims to clarify passengers' rights and air carriers' obligations, simplify the enforcement of passenger claims, and enhance legal certainty in disputes relating to flight delays, cancellations, and denied boarding.

As under the current rules, the new framework will apply to flights departing from an airport located within the European Union, irrespective of whether they are operated by an EU or a non-EU air carrier. It will also apply to flights arriving in the European Union from a third country where they are operated by an EU air carrier, provided that passengers have not been granted equivalent rights in the third country.

The new legislation will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It will become applicable 12 months after its entry into force, allowing Member States and air carriers sufficient time to adapt to the new rules.

This article provides an overview of the most significant changes introduced by the reform.

The Existing Compensation Scheme Remains Largely Unchanged

The reform preserves passengers' fundamental right to financial compensation where the statutory conditions are met, in particular where:

• the flight arrives at its final destination with a delay of more than three hours;
• the flight is cancelled less than 14 days before the scheduled departure; or
• the passenger is unlawfully denied boarding.

The amount of compensation will continue to depend on the flight distance:

• EUR 250 for flights of up to 1,500 km;
• EUR 400 for intra-EU flights exceeding 1,500 km and for other flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km;
• EUR 600 for all other flights.

For flights falling within the highest compensation category, the air carrier may reduce the compensation by 50% where it offers rerouting to the passenger's final destination and the arrival delay does not exceed four hours.

Easier Enforcement of Passenger Claims

One of the principal objectives of the reform is to simplify communication between passengers and air carriers.

Where circumstances arise that may entitle a passenger to compensation, the air carrier will be required to inform the passenger of their rights and provide clear instructions on how to submit a claim. In the event of a flight delay that may give rise to compensation, the carrier must provide this information electronically no later than 96 hours after the completion of the journey.

Passengers seeking financial compensation will be required to submit their claim within nine months of the scheduled departure date indicated on the ticket. The air carrier must acknowledge receipt of the claim without undue delay and, within 30 calendar days, either pay the compensation or provide a reasoned explanation as to why the claim has been rejected.

The new rules also ensure that the exercise of passenger rights cannot be made conditional upon creating a user account or using a particular air carrier's mobile application.

Clarified Right to Care During Flight Disruptions

The reform provides a more detailed framework governing the assistance that air carriers must provide in the event of flight delays or cancellations. As under the current regime, passengers must not be left without appropriate care while awaiting onward travel.

Air carriers will, in particular, be required to provide:

• refreshments every two hours during the waiting period;
• meals after three hours of waiting and subsequently every five hours (up to a maximum of three meals per day);
• internet access and the possibility to make two telephone calls; and
• free hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and the accommodation where an overnight stay is necessary.

If the air carrier fails to provide the required assistance, passengers will be entitled to make their own arrangements and subsequently recover the necessary, reasonable, and proportionate expenses incurred. The carrier will generally be required to reimburse such costs within 14 calendar days of receiving the passenger's request.

Where the disruption is caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken, the carrier may limit the provision of hotel accommodation to three nights. This limitation will not apply to categories of passengers with specific needs as defined by law.

Strengthened Right to Rerouting

Where a flight is cancelled or a passenger is unlawfully denied boarding, the air carrier will be required to offer rerouting to the passenger's final destination at the earliest opportunity. Such rerouting must be offered no later than three hours after the disruption occurs.

Rerouting may be provided by another air carrier, to a different airport, or, where appropriate, by an alternative mode of transport. In all cases, it must be provided at the air carrier's expense and under comparable transport conditions.

If the air carrier fails to offer appropriate rerouting within the prescribed time limit, the passenger will be entitled to arrange alternative transport independently. The carrier will then be required to reimburse the necessary, reasonable, and proportionate costs incurred, up to a maximum of 400% of the full price of the relevant ticket or tickets, including any intermediary fees.

The End of the "No-Show" Rule

One of the most significant changes is the prohibition of the so-called "no-show" rule.

In practice, passengers who failed to use the outbound leg of a return ticket were often refused carriage on the return flight.

The new legislation prohibits this practice. A passenger's failure to use the outbound flight will no longer constitute grounds for denying boarding on the return flight.

More Transparent Airfare Pricing

The reform also addresses longstanding concerns regarding the lack of transparency in airline ticket pricing.

Passengers will be entitled to carry one personal item, such as a small bag or backpack, into the aircraft cabin free of charge.

Air carriers, ticket vendors, and online booking and comparison platforms will be required to display, at the beginning of the booking process, the ticket price including cabin baggage. The objective is to enable passengers to compare offers more easily and improve price transparency across different airlines.

At the same time, the new legislation does not prevent air carriers from offering lower fares to passengers who choose to travel without cabin baggage.

Better Protection for Families and Vulnerable Passengers

The reform further strengthens the protection afforded to passengers requiring additional assistance.

Air carriers will be required to provide adjacent seating free of charge for:

• children under the age of 14 travelling with a parent or another accompanying person;
• persons with disabilities or reduced mobility travelling with their companion; and
• pregnant passengers travelling with an accompanying person.

The reform also enhances the protection of persons with disabilities and passengers with reduced mobility. The new rules expand their rights where the required assistance is not provided or where their mobility aids or other assistive devices are damaged or lost. Their entitlement to compensation for the resulting damage is likewise strengthened.

Clearer Rules on Extraordinary Circumstances

The reform also provides a clearer definition of extraordinary circumstances, a concept frequently relied upon by air carriers when refusing to pay compensation.

For the first time, the legislation includes a non-exhaustive list of events that may constitute extraordinary circumstances, such as natural disasters, armed conflicts, severe weather conditions, and certain strikes. At the same time, it also clarifies situations that do not qualify as extraordinary circumstances.

A mere assertion by an air carrier that extraordinary circumstances existed will no longer be sufficient. Where a carrier seeks to rely on this defence, it will be required to demonstrate both that the disruption was caused by the extraordinary circumstances in question and that it had taken all reasonable measures to prevent or mitigate their effects.

Additional Practical Changes

The reform also introduces a number of practical changes relating to passenger names on tickets and boarding passes.

Where a passenger requests the correction of a spelling mistake in their name, or the update of their name following an administrative change, no later than 48 hours before the scheduled departure, the air carrier will be required to make such correction free of charge on at least one occasion. However, the correction must not result in the transfer of the ticket to another person.

Where a passenger has checked in for a flight, the air carrier may not charge an additional fee for providing a printed boarding pass. Nor may a passenger be denied boarding solely because they present their own clear and machine-readable printed copy of a digitally issued boarding pass.

Where an air carrier issues digital boarding passes, passengers must be able to obtain them automatically upon check-in, without having to submit a separate request. Access to and printing of the boarding pass must not be made conditional upon creating a user account or using a dedicated mobile application.

Conclusion

The adopted reform represents the most significant revision of the European Union's air passenger rights framework since the adoption of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

While the core rights of passengers remain unchanged, the new legislation clarifies their scope, strengthens protection in several key areas, and simplifies the enforcement of passenger claims against air carriers. The updated rules will become applicable only after the expiry of the transitional period following their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, giving both Member States and air carriers sufficient time to prepare for their implementation.