Air Passenger Rights In The EU: Denied Boarding And Other Recent Developments

This article is a brief review of the status of new EU legislation on denied boarding, flight cancellation and delays which came into force on 17 February 2005. We also look at some other developments including proposed new legislation on rights of passengers with reduced mobility; proposed new legislation on provision of information by the contracting carrier as to the identity of the operating carrier; EASA’s proposal for certification of third country aircraft; and the coming into force of the minimum insurance regulation.

The new denied boarding regulation came into force on 17 February 2005 to much fanfare and a welter of media reports – many of them, unfortunately for the airlines, not entirely accurate. Depending on the particular circumstances, the Regulation requires carriers to provide to affected passengers a combination of compensation, assistance, refunds and/or re-routing to their final destination.