European Union lawmakers overwhelmingly backed a decade-long proposal on Wednesday that will require airlines to pay passengers financial compensation for a three-hour delay and allow them to carry a small amount of hand luggage for free.
While consumer groups have greeted the outcome backed by EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, which includes clearer obligations for airlines to compensate and assist passengers when flights are delayed or cancelled, airlines criticised the ballot, saying the law will only make flying more expensive both for airlines and passengers.
Backed by 632 votes in favour against 15, the EU’s law to increase protection for travellers has been on hold pending revision for nearly 15 years. Lawmakers have come under intense pressure from the aviation industry, which claims that politicians aren’t familiar with airlines’ operations and their complexity.
Some EU governments want some passenger rights weakened to make rules easier for airlines, but the Parliament is pushing to keep or strengthen them – and several EU countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands, support stronger passenger protections.
Lawmaker Andrey Novakov (European People’s Party/Bulgaria), leading the legislative file in the Parliament, said the chamber was “determined to improve rather than dilute air passenger rights”.
”Parliament is ready to continue the fight for clearer and more predictable rules for airlines and a stronger aviation sector, but not at the expense of passengers,” said Novakov.
Compensation and hand luggage
Airlines asked for the compensation entitlement to kick in only after at least five hours, to reflect real operational issues and avoid a situation where operators cancel flights altogether simply to avoid penalties. However, for the European Parliament, the three-hour delay threshold was non-negotiable.
Currently, European air travellers are entitled to compensation of between €250 and €600 if a flight is cancelled or delayed by more than three hours. The text backed by EU lawmakers on Wednesday sets airlines to pay between €300 and €600, depending on the distance.
The proposal also sets the end of cabin luggage fees, entitling passengers to a free personal item measuring 40cm by 30cm by 15cm, and a small wheeled item with a maximum total dimension of 100cm and a weight of up to 7kg.
While low-cost airlines have more to lose from offering free hand luggage, most commercial airlines already provide it.
“Baggage rules must be simple and transparent, that’s why we proactively adopted the standard minimum dimensions agreed by member states in June,” said Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of Airlines4Europe (A4E), a Brussels-based airline association.
Regional airlines
Regional airlines said the decision risks “disproportionately” affecting their business, as the sector will be impacted by measures that “fail to reflect their specific operating conditions”.
Montserrat Barriga, director general of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA), rejected accusations that the group is against passenger rights and recognised the Parliament’s “good intentions”, but argued the law will negatively impact regional aviation.
“Regional airlines risk becoming the punchbags of a political tug-of-war,” said Barriga. “ERA members operate over 1,000 unique routes, often with no viable alternative transport modes.”
“When compensation can reach two to three times the ticket price, the result is not stronger passenger rights but fewer essential air links for islanders, remote regions and commuters who rely on these services.”
The revised law risks being punitive and disproportionate for regional aviation, ERA said, stressing the strong efforts made by regional airlines to “avoid cancellations and prioritise connectivity”, especially where they provide the only available air link and often the only available transport mode.
Next steps
Lawmaker Matteo Ricci (Socialists & Democrats/Italy), leading the file in the Parliament’s committee on transport and tourism, said classic airlines treat passengers in an “unacceptable” manner.
“The member states in the Council tell us they are ready for an update of the existing rules. This is good news, but certainly not enough as long as the Council clearly prioritises the interests of multimillion-euro airline companies over those of their passengers,” Ricci said after the vote.
Lawmaker Novakov said the Parliament is “counting on EU transport ministers to reconsider their position”.
The Cypriot Presidency, currently helming the bloc as a mediator, has “openly expressed its readiness and willingness” to continue negotiations with the Parliament carried out on behalf of the previous Danish Presidency “as soon as possible”.
EU legislators have nearly exhausted the EU legal procedures to revise the airline passenger rights law, originally adopted in 2004. If EU countries don’t approve the Parliament’s text, a special committee will be convened to find an agreement on the final shape of the bill.
“Today’s vote will hopefully help us move to the next step,” a spokesperson from the Cypriot Presidency said.