Air Passenger Rights

European Commission
The EU in your Country

Accessibility tools

Service tools

Language selector

Current languageen

Navigation path


Latest news

About us

Contact us

EU services in Ireland

Events

Info for Journalists

Schools

About the EU

The EU and You
The EU in your county

Doing Business in Europe

Living in Europe

Shopping in Europe

Studying in Europe

Travelling in Europe
Air Passenger Rights
Working in Europe

Making Yourself Heard

FAQ

Ireland in the EU

Tenders and grants

Air Passenger Rights

E-mail this page

Creating a single European market in air transport has meant lower fares and a wider choice of carriers and services for passengers. The EU has also created a set of rights to ensure air passengers are treated fairly.

As an air passenger you have certain rights when it comes to information about flights and reservations, damage to baggage, delays and cancellations, denied boarding, compensation in the case of accident or difficulties with package holidays. These rights apply to scheduled and chartered flights, both domestic and international, from an EU airport or to an EU airport from one outside the EU, when operated by an EU airline.

For further information about air passenger rights, see our FAQ on Air Travel.

	Denied boarding You may be entitled to compensation between €125 and €600 depending on flight distance and the delays incurred when rerouted.
	Long delays You may request a refund of your ticket if the delay exceeds five hours, but only if you decide not to travel.
	Cancellation Financial compensation is due unless you were informed 14 days before the flight, or you were rerouted close to your original times, or the airline can prove that the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances.
	Assistance by airlines Depending on the circumstances, if you are denied boarding or your flight is cancelled or delayed, you may be entitled to receive assistance (catering, communications, and an overnight stay if necessary). In the event of denied boarding or cancellation, you may be offered the option of continuing your trip or a refund of your ticket.
	Reduced mobility Disabled persons and passengers with reduced mobility are protected from discrimination and, from 26 July 2008, can rely on appropriate assistance (under certain conditions) to help them through all EU airports.
	Identity of the airline You must be informed, in advance, of which airline is operating your fl ight. Airlines found to be unsafe are banned or restricted within the European Union. They are listed at: http://air-ban.europa.eu
	Liability Airlines can be held liable for damages resulting from delays (limited to ± € 4 800), for damage to and loss of baggage (limited to ± €1,100) and for injury or death in accidents. However, airlines shall not be liable if they have taken all reasonable measures to avoid the damages or it was impossible to take such measures.
	Package holidays Package tour operators must give accurate information on the holiday booked, comply with contractual obligations and protect passengers in case of the organiser’s insolvency.

Who do I contact?

The EU rules oblige Member States to nominate or create "national enforcement bodies", whose role is to verify that transport operators are treating all passengers in accordance with their rights. Passengers who believe they have not been treated correctly should contact the body in the country where the incident took place.

In Ireland, the enforcement body is:
Commission for Aviation Regulation
3rd Floor
Alexandra House
Earlsfort Terrace
Dublin 2
Tel. : +353-(0) 1-6611700
Fax : +353-(0) 1-6611269 (General)
info@aviationreg.ie
www.aviationreg.ie

A full list of the competent authorities in each country is available here . For more information, see the European Commission Air Passenger Rights Portal.