According to the procedures, passengers in case of flight delays or cancelations should first contact the airline. If it does not solve the problem and does not pay compensation, then they can appeal to the State Civil Aviation Authority and the State Inspectorate for Supervision of Non-Food Goods and Consumer Protection.
Compensations depend on the length of the delay and the distance between airports: 250 euros for all flights of 1,500 kilometers or less; 400 euros for all flights between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometers; 600 euros for all other flights. If passengers are offered an alternative flight with an arrival time of at least 2 hours for flights up to 1500 kilometers, 3 hours for flights between 1500 and 3500 kilometers and 4 hours for flights over 3500 kilometers, the air carrier is entitled to reduce the compensation by 50%.
In addition, if the delay drags on for the whole night, the airline is obliged to provide food, drinks, accommodation and transfer to the place of accommodation. According to the law, the carrier may be exempted from liability if the delay or cancellation is due to reasons beyond its control, but food and water must be provided in any case.
If a flight is canceled, unless notification is sent at least 14 days prior to departure, passengers are entitled to a full refund of the ticket price.
Important: When purchasing tickets and checking in, passengers should provide an active phone number and a valid e-mail address where they can be contacted.
The European Consumer Center operates in Moldova. As the executive director of the center, Mihaela Pascal, explained on the air of public radio, they help the affected passengers to make a competent complaint and, in some cases, to settle the dispute. But they work only with passengers of flights connected with EU countries – either by the point of departure and destination, or by the jurisdiction of the airline. This rule also applies in the opposite direction – for EU citizens flying from or to Moldova.
According to the head of the Civil Aviation Authority, Vasile Charameta, since the beginning of 2025, more than 200 complaints have been received from passengers, and in July their number increased significantly, taking into account the vacation season and the increase in passenger traffic. The record was recorded in 2023, when the institution received more than 700 complaints from affected passengers.
