Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) compensation and (b) care and assistance expenses that passengers are entitled to claim for in cases of significant flight delays.

The Government remains committed to protecting the rights of passengers when travelling by air.

Regulation (EC) 261/2004 as retained in UK law establishes common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of long delays, cancellations or denied boarding. In June 2023, the Department published its response to the Aviation Consumer Policy Reform Consultation. This set out a commitment to further consultation on the compensation and payment framework across all forms of disruption including cancellations, delays and denied boarding. Furthermore, a Statutory Instrument came into force in the UK on 14 December 2023 to re-state certain EU case law principles in respect of Regulation (EC) 261/2004, to ensure passengers continued to be protected through additional clarity of their rights in the event of flight disruptions.