Is it possible to balance the interests of air passengers and airlines?

Published connected 24/06/2025 - 18:00 GMT+2•Updated 18:15

EU carrier ministers person agreed to modify and simplify rules connected rider authorities and hose liability pinch a position to guarantee user protection. However, nan revision introduces changes that whitethorn costs passengers more money.

The European Commission first projected reforming nan rules successful 2013, because immoderate were being applied irregularly, and passengers were struggling to navigate complaints procedures.

The process has dragged connected for years, however, and nan caller connection now seeks to besides meet nan demands of airlines, peculiarly pinch respect to nan costs of compensation for delays.

Currently, passengers are entitled to financial compensation if their formation is delayed by much than 3 hours. The caller norm proposes that this correct would only use aft a hold of 4 hours. In addition, airliners will beryllium capable to complaint passengers for luggage placed successful nan cabin, pinch only mini bags that fresh nether nan spot being free.

Although these changes were accepted by EU carrier ministers gathering successful nan EU Council, Germany, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain registered opposition.

“Spain is calling for clear and precise ineligible connection to debar loopholes that would let airlines to evade compensation. Germany believes these measures will trim nan level of user protection," said Euronews newsman Grégoire Lory, adding that these issues will apt resurface during upcoming negotiations pinch nan European Parliament.

Consumer opposition

The European Parliament will now see nan connection and whitethorn amend aliases cull it. The centre-right EPP and centre-left S&D groups person already expressed disapproval successful property releases, arsenic has nan European Consumer Organisation (BEUC).

"The believe of charging consumers for manus luggage, particularly by low-cost airlines, is forbidden nether EU rule and nan lawsuit rule of nan Court of Justice of nan European Union. The governments are now trying to legitimise that practice," Agustín Reyna, Director General of BEUC, told Euronews.

Reyna added that nan caller rules connected compensation for formation delays were intended to "give airlines much flexibility" but contradicted nan position of nan European Court of Justice, which "defined 3 hours arsenic nan due threshold".

On nan different hand, Airlines for Europe welcomes nan regulatory review. The organization, which represents 80% of aerial traffic, said that this revision "would thief airlines to connection nan champion imaginable package to passengers".

Watch nan video here!

Journalist: Isabel Marques da Silva

Content production: Pilar Montero López

Video production: Zacharia Vigneron

Graphism: Loredana Dumitru

Editorial coordination: Ana Lázaro Bosch and Jeremy Fleming-Jones