apf 2025 Annual Report: apf Recovers Approximately 2 Million Euros for Travelers

The Agency for Passenger Rights apf) is the statutory arbitration and enforcement body for rail, bus, ship, and air travel. Through out-of-court arbitration procedure , the apf arbitration procedure travelers assert their rights free of charge and without commission.

“For ten years now, apf has been advocating for travelers’ interests. Thanks to our many years of experience working with companies and our expertise, we are able to find solutions quickly and efficiently that uphold the rights of rail and air passengers,” said Maria-Theresia Röhsler, Director of apf.

“Promoting and safeguarding passenger rights is a particular priority for me, as is strengthening mediation as a cost-effective, voluntary means of dispute resolution. I am therefore particularly pleased that our collaboration with the apf and its staff has worked so well from the very beginning,” said Mobility Minister Peter Hanke.

Key Figures for 2025

In 2025, the apf secured arbitration procedure approximately 2 million euros in compensation, settlements, and refunds for travelers in more than 4,900 concluded cases through its arbitration procedure . The largest share, amounting to 1.9 million euros, came from the aviation sector. On average, this amounts to 400 euros per concluded case for passengers and air travelers.
In 2025, the apf received a total of 6,663 written arbitration requests. These requests ultimately led to arbitration procedure 4,957 arbitration procedure ; a total of 5,130 cases were concluded in 2025. A case with the apf takes an average of 32 days from the initial contact via the online arbitration form to its conclusion.
The average response time for an initial reply to applicants was again around one day in 2025 (2024: one day). Despite the high number of applications, the apf was able to slightly improve its response time.

Procedures in 2025

Compared to the record year of 2024, the number of arbitration claims in the rail and air travel sectors fell by about 10 percent; a total of 5,273 claims were filed in the air travel sector and 1,244 in the rail sector. In the bus sector, there was a sharp increase in applications, which is particularly attributable to cases involving inner-city transit operators. The most common reasons for proceedings in the aviation sector were flight delays (46 percent), cancellations (37 percent), and baggage issues (seven percent). In the rail sector, the apf frequently handled issues related to ticket cancellations or refunds, including service reductions on night trains (38 percent) as well as fines (26 percent). In the bus sector, proceedings were primarily conducted regarding compensation for damages and theft, followed by ticket refunds and fines.

With which companies were proceedings conducted

In 2025, most cases involved Austrian Airlines (1,300), Austria’s most-flown airline, followed by Ryanair (700) and ÖBB Personenverkehr AG, the market leader in rail transport (1,000).
The full annual report of the apf is available at https://www.apf.gv.at/publikationen-archiv and also includes data on cases involving bus and ship transportation.

www.passagier.at – Submit arbitration request to apf arbitration request the online form
Arbitration requests must always be submitted to apf in writing so that all necessary documents are available and the company can be contacted promptly. Thearbitration request available at www.passagier.at. For further inquiries, the apf is also available to passengers by phone at +43 1 5050707-710 (rail), -720 (bus), -730 (ship), and -740 (air).