An informal agreement has just been reached between the 27 Member States of the European Union to revise downwards the famous European Regulation 261/2004, which for nearly 20 years has governed compensation paid to injured passengers. The result: longer delays required to hope to receive compensation, and amounts sometimes revised downwards.
A reform pushed by airlines
Carriers have been calling for reform for years. According to them, the current legislation is too expensive and does not take into account the realities of air transport. On average, compensation paid out reaches €8 billion per year. Too much, say the airlines, who consider the current system "disproportionate," especially when a short flight is delayed by a few hours for a minor reason but results in a flat-rate compensation of €250 per passenger.
The pressure finally paid off: on June 6, 2025, the 27 approved a compromise text, now awaiting a vote by the European Parliament. It ratifies a major revision of compensation thresholds, and therefore a reduction in passenger rights.
What will change in practice?
Until now, passengers could claim compensation ranging from €250 to €600 if their flight was delayed by at least three hours on arrival, depending on the distance traveled. This principle, validated several times by the Court of Justice of the European Union, served as a protective standard on the Old Continent.
With the new text, these thresholds will change:
- On short flights (less than 1500km), the minimum delay increases from 3 hours to 4 hours, but the compensation increases slightly, from €250 to €300.
- On long-haul flights (over 3500km), a delay of at least 6 hours (compared to 3 today) will now be required to receive compensation. And this will be reduced to €500, compared to €600 currently.
In other words, a large majority of delays currently compensated, particularly those between 3 and 6 hours, will no longer be eligible for any compensation if the reform is adopted as it stands.
A bitter pill for consumer associations
From the side of travel protection associations, the reaction was swift. The European Federation of Passengers (BEUC) speaks of a worrying decline in acquired rights, to the benefit of airlines. “This text amounts to saying that the delay must be more serious to hope to receive less,” denounces a spokesperson. Several NGOs are calling on Parliament to block or amend this reform, which it considers too favorable to the airline industry.
The irony is that this reform comes at a time when airlines are experiencing a massive return of post-Covid passengers, and delays and cancellations remain high at many European airports.
For now, nothing is final. This reform project still needs to be examined and voted on by the European Parliament. Amendments are possible, but the guidelines already seem to be well established. If the text is approved as is, it will take several months for it to actually come into force. Until then, the current rules remain applicable.
In other words, in 2025, it is still possible to claim up to €600 in compensation if your flight is delayed by 3 hours or more, but this could change as early as next year.
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