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Delayed flights at Bilbao Airport. I. Pérez
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EU agrees to raise flight delay time before passengers are entitled to compensation

Spain, Germany, Estonia and Portugal voted against the change in legislation, but they formed the minority

E. M.

Madrid

Friday, 6 June 2025, 16:53

The green light has been given for a new reform of the air passenger rights regulation in the European Union, specifically the one concerning the amount of time a flight should be delayed in order for the passengers to be entitled to compensation.

A political agreement was reached on Thursday among the ministers of transport in the EU countries - to raise from 3 to 4 and 6 (depending on the distance) the hours of minimum delay time that will allow passengers to claim compensation. The agreement was approved by a qualified majority, with Spain, Germany, Estonia and Portugal voting against.

"We cannot support this proposal," Spanish secretary of state for transport José Antonio Santano said in the final debate, stating that increasing the threshold for delay compensation "clearly worsens the position of passengers". He described the new regulation as an act of crossing a line that Spain cannot accept.

In exchange, the draft, which will be the basis for negotiating the final form of the legislation with the European Parliament, also introduces an obligation for airlines to provide a form that allows passengers to automatically process their compensation in the event of cancellation.

"Thanks to the debate and the flexibility, we've achieved a great step towards a much needed reform to improve the rights of EU passengers. Not everyone may be fully satisfied, but that's what I call a good compromise, which is when no one is 100% happy. We are now going to start negotiating with the European Parliament," said Polish minister Dariusz Klimczak, who holds the rotating presidency of the EU council for the first half of the year.

The agreement went ahead despite the votes against by the ministers of Spain, Germany, Portugal and Slovenia, who warned that this decision represents a "step backwards" in the fight for the rights of European passengers. In addition, Austria and Estonia abstained, refusing to stand in the way of the agreement but without supporting the final result.

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surinenglish EU agrees to raise flight delay time before passengers are entitled to compensation

EU agrees to raise flight delay time before passengers are entitled to compensation