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ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Airlines must comply with passenger rights without unnecessary delays or obstacles.

Every year, thousands of passengers in the EU experience delays, cancellations, and unfair airline practices. While Regulation (EC) 261/2004 grants certain rights, many airlines ignore, reject, or delay legitimate claims without justification, forcing passengers to invest time and money in administrative or legal battles.

Airlines count on passengers giving up, whether due to lack of information, complex processes, or frustration. This benefits airlines financially and encourages a culture of non-compliance with passenger rights.

This systematic abuse has no financial consequences for airlines, incentivizing them to disregard passenger rights, knowing that only a small percentage will persist. This is a business model built on exhausting consumers—and it must end.

Moreover, EU courts are already overloaded and should not be flooded with thousands of individual compensation cases involving clear, objective rights that have already been verified by an impartial regulatory body. Courts should focus on complex disputes, not on enforcing passenger rights that airlines should respect without question.

WHAT DO WE PROPOSE?

1️⃣ Make decisions by national aviation authorities (such as AESA in Spain and its counterparts across the EU) legally binding and directly enforceable against airlines, without requiring court action. Currently, these bodies can rule in favor of passengers, but their decisions lack executive power, allowing airlines to avoid payments. This must change.

2️⃣ Discourage airlines from systematically ignoring or rejecting legitimate claims. We propose:

20% surcharge, with a minimum of €100 per claim, plus legal interest on delayed payments.

This surcharge mirrors legal costs and interest imposed in court cases when one party forces the other to litigate to obtain their rights. If you force passengers to fight for what they are legally owed, it won’t be free.

A progressive penalty system for repeat offenders, with fines helping fund the claims system.

3️⃣ Expand passenger protection against abusive practices that are not currently covered by Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and force passengers to take legal action, including:

• Unjustified charges for carry-on luggage when permitted by regulations.
• Excessive fees for printing boarding passes or minor name corrections.
• Failure to refund tickets in justified cases (e.g., canceled flights, forced schedule changes).
• Lack of automatic refunds for taxes and airport fees on unused flights. Currently, airlines keep airport taxes that they never actually paid for that traveler. This money must be refunded automatically, without requiring passengers to claim it or go to court.
• Barriers to filing complaints, such as unnecessary paperwork or ineffective internal claims processes.

4️⃣ Assess the feasibility of a compensation guarantee fund to advance payments and later recover the money from airlines. While not the main focus, this could ensure passengers receive their compensation without delays.

WHY IS CHANGE NECESSARY?

✈️The current system does not effectively protect passengers. Airlines can ignore national authority rulings without immediate consequences for ignoring valid claims. This must change.

✈️  If you break the law and exploit consumers, it won’t be free. If an airline abuses the system and forces passengers into legal action, it must bear the cost of that abuse. Penalizing airlines for bad faith delays will reduce systematic abuse.

✈️ Strengthening regulatory bodies will relieve court congestion and speed up claims resolution. EU courts are already overburdened. They should not be used for enforcing rights that a regulatory authority has already confirmed.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

1️⃣ SIGN this petition to demand that the European Parliament and national governments strengthen passenger rights.

2️⃣ SHARE this campaign with friends and family.

NEXT STEPS: HOW YOUR SUPPORT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Your signature is just the beginning! Here’s what we’ll do with the support we gather:

1️⃣ Back up the already submitted Petition to the European Parliament – We will formally submit this proposal to MEPs, urging them to take action and strengthen passenger rights.

2️⃣ Launch a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) – If we reach 1 million signatures, we will register an official ECI, forcing the European Commission to respond and consider new legislation.

3️⃣ Engage with policymakers & media – We will actively reach out to consumer rights organizations, political representatives, and media outlets to amplify our cause and demand change.

✈️ IT'S TIME TO END AIRLINE ABUSES AND ENSURE THEY COMPLY WITH THEIR OBLIGATIONS!