The EU has approved a major reform of air passenger rights, but the new rules do not apply yet. For flights disrupted today, passengers should continue to use the existing EU passenger-rights framework. The revised rules are due to apply after the transition period following publication in the Official Journal.
The reform keeps the familiar three-hour delay threshold and €250/€400/€600 compensation levels while adding clearer claim procedures and stronger protections around rerouting, assistance, baggage, connecting journeys, accessibility and family travel.
EU air passenger rights reform 2026: key points
- Current rules still apply for now.
- The three-hour compensation threshold is retained, subject to the applicable conditions and exceptions.
- Compensation levels remain €250, €400 and €600, depending on the applicable journey and distance category.
- Airlines will have to provide clearer claim information and procedures.
- The reform strengthens rules on rerouting, assistance, connecting journeys and passenger information.
- New protections also address baggage information, passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility, children travelling with an accompanying adult and return journeys after a missed outbound flight.
The exact rules applying to an individual journey still depend on the facts. A reform headline alone does not establish compensation eligibility.
When do the new EU air passenger rights take effect?
Parliament and Council negotiators reached a provisional agreement on 15 June 2026. The European Parliament approved the joint text on 7 July, and the Council gave its final clearance on 13 July 2026.
According to the Council, the revised rules enter into force 12 months and 20 days after publication in the Official Journal. The European Commission has therefore stressed that the existing passenger-rights rules continue to apply during the transition.
Practical takeaway: if your flight is disrupted before the revised framework becomes applicable, do not assess the claim as though the 2026 reform were already in force.
The three-hour delay threshold and compensation amounts remain
A central question during the reform process was whether passengers would have to wait longer before qualifying for delay compensation. Under the adopted text, the right to seek compensation for arrival delays of more than three hours is retained, provided the relevant legal conditions are met.
The established compensation amounts of €250, €400 or €600 are also maintained according to the applicable journey and distance category. Compensation is not automatic: the cause of the disruption, the itinerary and other legal conditions can affect an individual claim.
For the rules that apply today, see Airdelay’s EU261 compensation guide. If you are assessing a delay, our arrival delay vs departure delay guide explains why the arrival outcome can matter.
Claims: clearer information, deadlines and airline responses
The reform introduces a more structured claims process. The European Parliament says airlines will have to send passengers information on how to claim compensation or reimbursement within four days of a disruption.
Passengers will have up to nine months to submit a claim. Once a complete claim has been received, the airline will generally have 30 days to respond and, where compensation is due, make the payment.
Clearer procedures make good record-keeping even more useful. Keep your booking confirmation, flight details, airline messages, evidence of rerouting or rebooking, relevant receipts and information showing when you actually reached your destination. See Airdelay’s documents needed for a flight compensation claim.
Rerouting, reimbursement and assistance
The updated framework strengthens practical protections when a flight is cancelled or significantly disrupted. Passengers retain important choices around reimbursement and rerouting where the applicable conditions are met, alongside rights to care and assistance in qualifying situations.
Refunds and compensation remain separate concepts. A refund concerns the ticket or unused journey, while compensation addresses a qualifying disruption under the relevant passenger-rights rules. One does not automatically determine the other. Read Airdelay’s refund vs compensation guide for the distinction.
Connecting flights receive stronger protection
The reform also strengthens protection for connecting journeys. This matters because a disruption on one leg can cause a passenger to reach the final destination much later even if the first flight’s departure delay appears relatively small.
When assessing a disrupted itinerary, keep the details for the entire booking and record your final arrival time rather than focusing only on the departure delay.
Return flights after a missed outbound journey
Another practical change concerns so-called no-show situations. The reform protects passengers from automatically losing a return flight simply because they did not use the outbound leg, subject to the conditions in the revised rules.
This is particularly relevant to passengers whose plans change after a disruption or who reach their destination another way.
Baggage, seating and accessibility protections
The 2026 reform is broader than compensation. EU institutions highlight clearer information about baggage charges and stronger protections for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility.
The revised framework also includes protections concerning children travelling with an accompanying adult, including seating arrangements, and addresses practical booking issues such as certain name corrections. These changes are intended to reduce avoidable barriers and unexpected costs during travel.
What does the reform mean for Türkiye–EU flights?
The reform is especially relevant to passengers travelling between Türkiye and the EU, but not every Türkiye–EU flight falls under EU passenger-rights rules in the same way. Passenger nationality is not the deciding factor.
Under the current framework, important factors include where the journey begins and, for certain journeys into the EU, which airline operates the flight. A passenger travelling from an EU airport to Türkiye may therefore be in a different legal position from a passenger travelling from Türkiye into the EU.
Use Airdelay’s EU261 guide to understand the current EU framework. The applicable regime should always be checked against the actual route, operating carrier and disruption.
What should passengers do after a delay or cancellation now?
- Confirm exactly what changed: delay, cancellation, rerouting or another disruption.
- Save your booking confirmation and flight details.
- Keep airline emails, texts, app notifications and other messages.
- Record your actual arrival time at the final destination.
- Keep relevant receipts for reasonable expenses.
- Save evidence of any rerouting, rebooking, refund or voucher offered.
- Check which passenger-rights framework applies to your journey.
The key point in August 2026 is that the reform has been approved, but passengers should continue to rely on the rules currently in force until the revised framework becomes applicable.
If your flight was delayed or cancelled, Airdelay can help you check whether the circumstances may support a compensation claim.
Official sources
- European Parliament: upgrade to EU air passenger rights, 7 July 2026
- Council of the EU: final clearance for stronger air passenger rights, 13 July 2026
- European Commission: current EU passenger-rights guidance, 28 July 2026
Last updated: 11 August 2026. This article provides general passenger-rights information and does not determine eligibility for an individual claim.
