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ARTICLE · 17 JULY 2026

EU Overhauls Air Passenger Rights: What Airlines Need To Know

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The European Parliament and Council have approved the first major reform of air passenger rights since 2004, amending key regulations that will enter into force in 2027.

AfghanistanTransport
Adrian Mallia
Adrian Mallia
Sascha Genovese
Sascha Genovese
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For carriers operating in or through the EU, the reform brings both welcome clarity and new compliance obligations. It represents a move towards securing a fair balance between passenger rights and the operational and economic realities of the aviation sector. The reforms are intended to improve legal certainty, facilitate more efficient disruption management, preserve connectivity across the EU, and ensure a level playing field among airlines.

Below, we summarise the key changes relevant to airline legal, compliance and operations teams.

1. Compensation Thresholds

Notably, the core compensation framework remained largely unchanged. Passengers remain entitled to compensation where a flight is delayed by more than three hours or cancelled within 14 days of departure, at the following tiers:

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