Almost half of Irish flyers don't know their rights 

Despite this, €1.1m was paid out by airlines to consumers in refunds and compensation last year

Over €1.1m was paid out by airlines to consumers in refunds and compensation last year - but almost half of Irish flyers remain unaware of their rights when travelling. Picture: iStock

Over €1.1m was paid out by airlines to consumers in refunds and compensation last year - but almost half of Irish flyers remain unaware of their rights when travelling.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is urging travellers to familiarise themselves with their legal rights in the event of delays, cancellations, and overbookings. An Amárach Research survey conducted on behalf of the IAA’s Air Passenger Rights Division found that 47% of Irish people had no idea or were not sure of their legal rights as a passenger when their flight is delayed or cancelled. 

This is despite 1,213 complaints to airlines being upheld in 2025, resulting in €334,471 in refunds and a further €795,500 in compensation. 

“Passengers have more rights than they often realise. Whether it’s a delay, cancellation, or overbooking, the law provides strong protections. We want every traveller to feel confident and informed before they fly," said IAA head of consumer affairs Clare Mulcahy. 

“The IAA is launching this renewed awareness campaign this autumn to help passengers quickly access information about their rights.”

Under EU law, if your flight is delayed by more than three hours, you may be entitled to meals, refreshments, and accommodation. If your flight is cancelled, you have the right to re-routing or a refund, and in some cases, compensation.  In cases of overbooking, passengers may be entitled to compensation and assistance.

The IAA’s ‘Know Your Rights’ campaign is an appeal for passengers to ensure that they keep all records and receipts, to contact their airline first and as soon as possible if they have an issue. If passengers don’t receive a satisfactory response, they can complain to the authority – the IAA being the go-to for flights leaving from Irish airports.

The 2025 IAA report showed the 1,213 complaints came from 52 airlines in total, with Aer Lingus comprising 31% of complaints and Ryanair accounting for 28%. Emerald Airlines was the subject of 7% of total complaints, with Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways both making up 3%. The remaining 28% of complaints related to 47 other airlines.

Some 41% of the total upheld complaints related to flight cancellations, while 48% related to long delays. The total number of complaints handled in 2025 was down by 5% compared to the previous year.