The EU261 reform: what the adopted changes mean and when they apply
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Quick answer
Regulation (EU) 2026/2202, adopted on 16 September 2026 and published in the Official Journal on 2 October 2026, enters into force on 22 October 2026 and applies from 23 October 2027. Until then nothing changes for any flight. From that date it keeps the three-hour threshold and the €250/€400/€600 amounts, and adds a nine-month window to request compensation and a 30-day deadline for the airline to pay or explain a refusal.
How much flight compensation could I receive?
€250–€600 per passenger, depending on the distance of the flight, for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more, a cancellation announced under 14 days ahead, or denied boarding on a flight covered by Regulation 261.
Does this apply to your flight?
Does this apply to your flight?
A few short questions — no flight number needed yet. You get a preliminary result on the facts you give; the full check confirms it from the itinerary.
What happened to your flight?
Status: published, applies from 23 October 2027
Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2026 amends Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 2027/97. It was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 2 October 2026 (text on EUR-Lex). Under its Article 3 it enters into force on the twentieth day after publication — 22 October 2026 — and applies from 23 October 2027.
Entry into force is not application. For every flight before 23 October 2027, Regulation 261/2004 as it stands today decides whether compensation is due, how much and until when it can be claimed. Nothing in the new text can be used for those flights — by you or by the airline.
What changes — and what stays the same
| Rule | Flights until 22 October 2027 | Flights from 23 October 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Delay compensation threshold | Arrival delay of 3 hours or more (Sturgeon) | Arrival delay exceeding 3 hours (new Article 6(4)) |
| Fixed compensation | €250 / €400 / €600 by distance | €250 / €400 / €600 by distance (new Article 7(1)) |
| Long-haul reduction | 50 % of €600 when the arrival is less than 4 hours late, after a delay or a re-routing | 50 % of €600 when arrival is no more than 4 hours late (new Article 7(2)) |
| Extraordinary circumstances | Defined by case law; the airline proves the cause and reasonable measures | A non-exhaustive list in Annex I; the airline still has to link the event to your flight and show reasonable measures |
| Deadline to request compensation | National limitation periods, 1 to 6 years (by country) | Within 9 months of the departure date on the ticket (new Article 7(9)) |
| Airline reply | No EU-wide deadline | Pay, or give the reasons for refusing, within 30 calendar days of the request (new Article 7(9)) |
| Information after a disruption | Written notice of rights at the airport (Article 14) | Within 96 hours of the end of the journey, the airline must tell a passenger who may be owed compensation how to request it (new Article 7(4)) |
| How compensation is paid | Money; vouchers only with signed agreement | Electronic bank transfer unless you agree otherwise on a durable medium (new Article 7(7)) |
The amending regulation also rewrites the information duties for delays and cancellations, sets rules for missed connections on one contract, requires contingency plans at airports with more than four million passengers a year, and gives a free personal item in the cabin. The extraordinary-circumstances annex is non-exhaustive in both directions: a category name in a refusal letter is not proof that it applied to your flight.
What it means for a claim today
- Flight before 23 October 2027: claim under the current rules and the national time limit of the country you claim in. Waiting for the reform gains nothing — the amounts do not rise and the threshold does not fall.
- Flight from 23 October 2027: request compensation within nine months of the flight. The national limitation period no longer protects a request made after that window.
- The airline does not pay within 30 days: from 23 October 2027 you complain through the airline’s own complaint mechanism (new Article 15a) — within 12 months of the flight, or three months after your request if that is later. The airline must reply within one month (two in justified cases) and name the bodies you can then turn to.
How Horvera applies it
The rules engine selects the ruleset by the flight date. Flights before 23 October 2027 are assessed under Regulation 261/2004 as in force today; flights from that date will be assessed under a separately reviewed ruleset for the amended text, published before it applies.
UK and Switzerland
This EU act does not amend UK261, which stays as it is for UK flights. Switzerland’s position depends on the EU–Switzerland Air Transport Agreement and should not be inferred from the EU application date; check for a separate official update before applying the amended text to a Swiss flight.
Official sources: Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 on EUR-Lex · Council announcement.
Sources
- European Community / Swiss ConfederationAgreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on Air Transport (signed 21 June 1999)
- European CommissionInterpretative Guidelines on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (2016/C 214/04)
- European Commission — DG MOVEAir passenger rights (including list of National Enforcement Bodies)
- European Parliament and CouncilRegulation (EU) 2026/2202 of 16 September 2026 amending Regulations (EC) No 261/2004 and (EC) No 2027/97
- European Parliament and CouncilRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights
- UK Government — legislation.gov.ukRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law (assimilated law)
Last legally reviewed: 20 October 2026 · Content updated: 20 October 2026
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