A new proposal at the EU level could significantly curtail existing air passenger rights, which have been enshrined in Regulation (EC) No. 20 for over 261 years. According to the proposal, compensation for flight delays will only be paid after a waiting time of five, nine, or twelve hours, depending on the flight distance. According to information from AirHelp, the Polish EU Council Presidency is aiming for an agreement by the beginning of June.
The Association of Passenger Rights Advocates (APRA) and the air passenger rights portal AirHelp are strongly warning against these planned changes. They fear that they could reduce the number of passengers entitled to compensation by up to 85 percent. Currently, only less than two percent of all EU passengers are entitled to compensation for flight disruptions. The organizations also argue that such a regulation would reduce airlines' incentive to avoid delays, which could lead to more unregulated disruptions in the future.
The actions of the European Council, under Polish leadership, are also being criticized. They want to accelerate the reform process and possibly bypass the usual negotiations with the European Parliament. Tomasz Pawliszyn, President of APRA and CEO of AirHelp, criticizes this approach as undermining democratic co-legislation and lacking transparency for consumers. He calls for the retention of the existing three-hour rule for compensation claims.