The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) continues to call for a proportionate and flexible approach in the long-awaited revision of the Passenger Rights Regulation, EU261.
While the regulation is intended to protect passengers and improve the reliability of air travel, its current form places an unsustainable burden on regional airlines that deliver essential connectivity across Europe.
ERA is therefore calling to ensure that the revision of the regulation does not hinder European regional connectivity. The revised regulation should include the following elements:
• Compensation levels must reflect regional realities: Raising compensation would disproportionately impact carriers operating only short-haul routes, many of which are smaller airlines, in particular but not limited to PSO routes, where low fares leave no margin for added costs. These vital services must remain economically viable.
• Extended delay thresholds from 3 to 5 hours for short-haul flights: Many regional airlines operate essential services to remote or insular areas, often without immediate access to maintenance facilities. Extending compensation thresholds reflects these operational realities and helps carriers manage multiple daily rotations safely. Airlines must be able to prioritise the safety tasks without the pressure of being penalised by inflexible rules. An increase of the threshold will also significantly reduce the cancellation of flights and hence will ultimately benefit the consumer.
• Limited conditions for re-routing: Regional carriers must retain the operational flexibility to manage disruption in line with their available resources. Overly permissive re-routing options – such as immediate rebooking on any available carrier or alternative transport mode – would place an unsustainable burden on smaller airlines.
• A binding, non-exhaustive list of extraordinary circumstances: Greater legal clarity is essential for both passengers and carriers. A detailed and flexible list will reduce administrative costs and litigation while ensuring fairness.
Jesper Rungholm, ERA President and CEO of Danish carrier DAT, commented: “The majority of regional operations connect remote islands and regions of Europe to the mainland, providing vital connectivity. These services can be challenging – weather, maintenance, crew availability – with almost every aspect of airline operations at its most extreme. Passengers are accustomed to delays and disruptions across all modes of transport, yet it is only airlines that face extreme compensation payments, along with hotel and meal costs. With regional fares kept deliberately low, we often see compensation amounts that are four to five times the ticket price.
“Options for cost recovery are extremely limited, making this an excessive and unsustainable burden. Nevertheless, our commitment to serving passengers remains strong. The revision of EU261 should not put the economic viability of these essential routes at risk and threatens regional connectivity.”
Montserrat Barriga, Director General, ERA added: “If the financial burden on regional airlines continues to rise unchecked, the consequence will be the closure of routes that many communities depend on and make regional airlines less competitive hence reducing choice and increasing prices for passengers. Regulation must strike a balance between protecting passengers and ensuring that the airlines serving remote and underserved regions can continue to operate sustainably.
“ERA urges policymakers to move away from a rigid, one-size-fits-all model and towards a collaborative, realistic and passenger-focused framework. Only then can the regulation continue to protect travellers while safeguarding the regional air services that are Europe’s lifeline.”
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