Transport attachés in Brussels confirmed late on 12 June that negotiators under the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU have reached a tentative political deal with the European Parliament to overhaul Regulation 261/2004 on air-passenger rights. A formal vote is pencilled in for 15 June, but diplomats say only Spain has signalled possible opposition. Key elements include standardised under-seat cabin-bag dimensions (40 × 30 × 15 cm), a ban on surcharge fees for families wishing to sit together, and clarified compensation levels: €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for intra-EU journeys over that distance and €600 for long-haul routes. Crucially for business travellers, missed connections caused by the late arrival of an earlier segment will trigger automatic rerouting or reimbursement protections, even when flights are on separate tickets. The Cyprus Presidency framed the compromise as evidence that “small states can deliver big results” and pledged to push the package through trilogue before its term ends. Airlines had lobbied for higher delay thresholds, but conceded ground in exchange for digital-only vouchers and the possibility of offering voluntary re-routing on alternative carriers. For companies managing regional travel to and from Cyprus – where many itineraries involve connecting hubs such as Athens, Vienna or Dubai – the reform promises fewer out-of-pocket surprises and simpler claims processing. Firms should review internal travel policies to ensure that employees are aware of new entitlements and that preferred travel-management companies can process electronic compensation requests.
Source: Agence Europe
