Air passenger rights

The European Parliament today adopted a report calling for more EU action to strengthen air passenger rights by Green rapporteur (draftsperson) Keith Taylor. Commenting after the vote, UK Green MEP Keith Taylor said:

"Despite some important improvements, air passengers often still get a raw deal when flying. EU legislation has already gone some way towards improving the rights of air passengers but more needs to be done to get them a fair deal. The EP has today supported my proposals setting out a number of measures in key areas to improve air passenger rights and we now look to the European Commission to act on these recommendations.

"The report calls for strengthening rules regarding assistance and reimbursement for delays and cancellations (including for luggage delays), as well as ensuring passengers are not left stranded in the case of airline bankruptcy. With many airlines still trying to dupe customers online, the report also highlights the need to better enforce existing rules to ensure transparent pricing on airline websites. The report also proposes harmonising rules on hand luggage allowances, and for online customers to have the right to amend bookings.

"More needs to be done to address the problems faced by persons with disabilities and reduced mobility, with a view to ensuring barrier-free access to air transport. The report adopted today sets out a number of recommendations to this end, including on accessibility of airplanes and airports, the handling of mobility equipment, and guaranteeing the equal right to fly, regardless of the specific needs of the passenger.

"Crucially, from a Green perspective, the report also calls for better information on the environmental performance and impact of air journeys, with the environmental impact to be printed on tickets as well as being clearly visible on airlines' websites. Given the enormous environmental impact of flying, this will help passengers make a more informed choice as regards their travel."