Overview

• After 12 years of talks the EU Council endorsed raising the compensation trigger from three hours to four hours for flights under 3,500 km and to six hours for longer routes
• The agreement includes more than 30 new passenger rights, such as automatic refunds within 14 days, the right to leave the plane after three hours on the tarmac, and stronger support for travelers with disabilities
• Airlines lobbied for the change, arguing that the existing three-hour threshold generated unsustainable costs estimated at €8.1 billion per year
• Consumer groups including BEUC and Flightright say the higher thresholds and an expanded list of ’extraordinary circumstances’ exemptions will strip most passengers of compensation
• The European Parliament will now enter trilogue negotiations where lawmakers may seek to reinstate stricter delay rules and introduce additional safeguards before final approval