Overview

• Transport ministers will vote on Thursday in Luxembourg on raising the compensation threshold for delayed flights to five hours or maintaining three hours with a €300 flat rate under Germany’s proposal.
• Germany’s counterproposal keeps the current three-hour delay threshold but fixes compensation at €300, aiming to balance passenger rights and airline burdens.
• Consumer groups warn that the Commission’s plan could leave up to 85% of eligible passengers without payouts and urge retaining the three-hour criterion.
• Airlines, supported by A4E, argue that extending the delay threshold reduces cancellations by allowing more time to mobilise replacement aircraft, echoing a survey where 73% of passengers preferred same-day arrival over earlier compensation.
• MEPs have raised objections to the Council’s fast-track adoption procedure, fearing it will curtail Parliament’s role in negotiating the final rules.