Millions of passengers flying across Europe, including those travelling to and from the Canary Islands, will soon benefit from updated air passenger rights after the EU reached an agreement on reforms to its long-standing EU261 regulation.

After 13 years of negotiations, the revised legislation largely preserves the protections travellers currently enjoy when flights are delayed or cancelled, despite concerns that compensation payments could have been significantly reduced.

Consumer groups have welcomed the outcome, saying it prevents a major rollback of passenger rights while introducing several practical improvements for travellers.

One of the most important outcomes is that compensation rules remain unchanged. Passengers affected by significant delays will still be entitled to compensation of between €250 and €600, depending on the flight distance.

The reforms also introduce a number of new protections designed to make travelling less stressful and improve transparency when disruptions occur.

Key Changes for Passengers:

• Compensation payments remain unchanged, with passengers still entitled to between €250 and €600 depending on the length of the flight.
• The three-hour delay threshold remains in place, meaning travellers can still claim compensation after delays of three hours or more, subject to existing conditions.
• Passengers are guaranteed one free personal item, although airlines will still be allowed to charge extra for larger cabin bags.
• Travellers can leave the aircraft during lengthy tarmac delays, preventing passengers from being forced to remain onboard for extended periods.
• Airlines must offer the fastest available alternative route when a flight is cancelled or significantly disrupted.
• Clearer rules now apply to missed connections, helping passengers understand when airlines are responsible.
• Airlines must explain delays and cancellations in plain language, making it easier for passengers to understand what has happened and what their rights are.
• Return flights can no longer be cancelled simply because a passenger missed the outbound flight, ending a practice that has long frustrated travellers.
• Travel vouchers remain optional, and any unused voucher will automatically be converted into a cash refund.
• Passengers downgraded to a lower travel class will receive an automatic refund, removing the need for lengthy claims processes.
• Airlines must correct spelling mistakes on tickets free of charge, preventing passengers from facing additional fees for minor errors.
• Musicians will have clearer rights to carry instruments onboard aircraft.
• Passengers will have up to nine months to submit compensation claims.

Relief for Travellers

The final agreement comes after several controversial proposals were discussed during negotiations, including plans to cut compensation payments by as much as 66% and replace existing payouts with a flat-rate €200 compensation system.

Those proposals were ultimately rejected, meaning the rights enjoyed by millions of European air passengers remain largely intact.

For the millions of people who fly to the islands every year, the reforms provide reassurance that existing compensation protections will remain in place while adding a number of practical improvements designed to make air travel fairer and more transparent.