European Parliament voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to reject efforts by EU member states to weaken air passenger compensation rights, maintaining the three-hour delay threshold that has protected travellers since 2004.
MEPs approved their position by 632 votes to 15, with nine abstentions, pushing back against Council proposals that would have reduced compensation entitlements and increased the delay threshold to between four and six hours depending on flight distance.
Parliament wants to keep compensation levels at between €300 and €600 based on flight distance, whilst the Council proposed reducing the maximum to €500. The vote also backed maintaining passengers’ rights to reimbursement, rerouting and compensation for cancellations and denied boarding.
The draft rules would require airlines to send pre-filled compensation forms to passengers within 48 hours of cancellations or delays, giving travellers one year to file claims. The Council’s position would only require pre-filled forms after cancellations, not delays.
MEPs also want to scrap additional fees for correcting passenger name errors or checking into flights, and to guarantee free cabin luggage including one personal item and one small piece of hand luggage with maximum dimensions of 100cm and seven kilograms.
Parliament backed retaining airlines’ duty to provide refreshments every two hours beyond departure time, meals after three hours, and overnight accommodation for a maximum of three nights during long delays. The three-night limit would offer airlines greater cost predictability, according to MEPs.
The text includes stronger protections for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility, who would have the right to compensation if they miss flights due to airport failures to help them reach gates on time. Vulnerable passengers including pregnant women and infants would get boarding priority, with accompanying persons seated adjacent at no extra charge.
Parliament wants the European Commission to maintain and regularly update an exhaustive list of extraordinary circumstances that exempt airlines from compensation, including natural disasters, war, weather conditions and unforeseen labour disputes.
“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 rapporteur Andrey Novakov. “We insist that reducing delays has significant overall benefits for Europe’s economy.”
Parliament’s position will now go to the Council under the second reading procedure. If the Council rejects Parliament’s amendments, a Conciliation Committee will be convened to find agreement.
The reforms have stalled for 11 years since Parliament first made proposals in 2014. EU ministers reached a political agreement in June 2025, opening negotiations with Parliament that began in October 2025 but failed to produce consensus.