Lawyer Mokhov spoke about the rights of passengers in case of forced cancellation of a flight.

      April 29, 2026 08:08 Society From March 1, 2026, passengers facing a flight delay of more than half an hour can expect a refund for their airline tickets. Additionally, they are entitled to compensation for damages and moral harm, as well as a fine of 100 rubles for each hour of delay, but not more than 50% of the ticket price. These rules are established by the Air Code and the Federal Aviation Rules of Russia, said Georgy Mokhov, Vice President of the Russian Union of the Tourism Industry and General Director of the legal agency "Persona Grata," to 360.ru. If the flight delay is deemed unavoidable, the passenger must be refunded the full ticket price if they did not fly, or a portion of the price if a transfer was canceled. The carrier can avoid the fine if it proves that the delay occurred due to objective reasons beyond its control or threatened the life and health of passengers. In the event of a flight delay, the airline must provide additional services to passengers. For example, passengers with children under seven years old must be granted access to a mother and child room. If the wait for the flight lasts more than two hours, passengers must be provided with water, and if it exceeds four hours, hot meals and drinks. In some cases, the carrier may issue passengers documents for independently purchasing food and drinks at the airport or hotel. If a passenger waits for departure for more than six hours at night or eight hours during the day, the airline is obliged to provide them with accommodation in a hotel, organize transportation to and from the hotel, and ensure luggage storage. According to Article 108 of the Air Code, refusal to fly is also considered unavoidable if it is caused by the illness or death of a close relative of the passenger. In this case, the passenger must notify the airline of their refusal before the end of check-in for the flight, providing supporting documents. Clause 227 of the Federal Aviation Rules also states that the airline must refund the passenger if they did not get a seat on board due to overbooking, if they were late for the flight due to security checks at the airport, or if they were served in a lower class than they paid for. In all other cases, refusal to fly is considered voluntary, and the ticket money is not refunded. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+