After more than a decade of lobbying, legal wrangling, and political trench warfare, Europe’s airlines have finally got their answer on air passenger rights. It’s not the one they wanted.
The European Union (EU) this week agreed the first major overhaul since EU261 regulations were introduced more than 20 years ago. Despite intense pressure from airlines and other industry stakeholders, policymakers largely held the line.
The core principles remain intact. Passengers delayed by more than three hours will still be entitled to compensation ranging from €250 to €600 ($290-$696), depending on flight distance. Carriers pushed hard for longer delay thresholds before compensation obligations kicked in, arguing this would give them more flexibility to recover disrupted operations and get passengers moving.
“After 13 years of discussion, the opportunity to improve Europe’s competitiveness and the passenger experience by addressing the flaws of EU261 was los
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