Andrey Novakov· PPE

Nuanced

The Council proposal would reduce passenger compensation entitlements by 60%.

Omissions

• The 60% figure refers to the percentage of passengers who would lose eligibility for compensation entirely (percentage of passengers affected), not a 60% reduction in the compensation amount itself
• The Council proposal specifically raises the threshold from 3 hours to 4 hours for shorter flights and up to 6 hours for longer flights
• The European Parliament rejected this proposal in November 2025, maintaining the 3-hour threshold
• The proposal relates to Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 on air passenger rights

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Parliament - EPRS Briefing on Revising Air Passenger RightsParliament's draft recommendations of November 2025 reject the Council's proposal to raise the compensation threshold from three to four hours
• PrimaryEuropean Parliament News - European Parliament stands behind air passenger rightsThe Council is pushing for compensation to apply only after a four-to-six-hour delay, depending on the flight distance
• SecondaryEuroconsumers - Air Passenger Rights Regulation on final approachFlight data studies show that extending the threshold could strip more than 60% of currently eligible passengers of their rights