The European Union has agreed to change air passenger rights rules, affecting how airlines compensate passengers for flight delays. Under the new plan, short-haul flights will require delays of four hours or more to qualify for compensation, while long-haul flights must be delayed by six hours or more.
Passengers on short-haul flights can expect increased compensation from €250 to €300, but this amount will decrease for long-haul flights from €600 to €500. The changes have been 12 years in the making and need further approval from the European parliament before becoming law.
The revised rules aim to address delays of two to four hours, as most disruptions fall within this timeframe. Airlines trade body Airlines for Europe (A4E) has expressed concerns over the new thresholds, claiming they will save up to 70% of rescuable cancelled flights if longer delay times were applied.
However, some officials welcome the agreement as a step towards improving air passenger services. The changes also include provisions for rerouting passengers with long delays and improved compensation forms for those with disabilities or reduced mobility.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jun/06/eu-flight-delay-times-passengers-compensation