EU countries have agreed to increase the amount of time passengers must wait before they can demand compensation for delayed flights after 12 years of negotiations.
The EU transport minister said on Thursday that if passengers are delayed by four hours or more, they can only claim compensation for short-haul flights, while for long-haul flights they will have to wait for six hours.
Currently, passengers can claim compensation if any flight is delayed by more than three hours.
The ministers also agreed to delay compensation for those who delay short-haul flights from 250 to 300 euros, but reduce the 600 euros for long-haul flights to 500 euros.
Other rights agreed to include automated compensation forms, restrictions on reasons for reimbursement, and greater liability to airlines to provide rescheduling and accommodation in case of prolonged delays and strengthen the rights of passengers with disabilities.
The European Commission first proposed an amendment to EU air passenger rights in 2013, but it took EU countries 12 years to reach an agreement on compensation.
Airlines believe that the longer delay threshold will give them a “opportunity to fight to minimize delays and avoid flight cancellations”.
A4E represents major European airlines, including Lufthansa, France-KLM and Ryanair.
It said 70% of the flights that were eventually cancelled could “benefit 10 million passengers per year” with a five-hour threshold.
"Europe has been waiting for transparent and viable passenger rights for 12 years, and member states have dropped on the last hurdles ... Member states have diluted the original proposal of the European Commission and introduced more complex issues," A4E said in a statement.
The European Commission initially proposed to extend the duration of short-haul flights by five hours, while the long-haul flights by nine hours.
However, politicians turned to sending a politically impossible message that passengers would have to lose. Germany is one of the most powerful opponents to increase the limit along with Spain.
In a statement Thursday, German lawmakers from the European BJP, the largest political group in Europe, said: "Reducing the right to compensate air passengers will be a step in the wrong direction. Reimbursement has been the standard for many years after three hours of delays and should be maintained."
"No politician wants to say it's more than four hours," said a senior diplomat.
Member States will have to negotiate with the European Parliament before they become the final law.