Airline passengers in Europe will not have to pay additional fees for luggage and check-in and would be able to transfer their tickets free of charge to another individual.

The changes are forthcoming and became possible after the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) of the European Parliament unanimously approved the report of Bulgarian ALDE MEP, Antoniya Parvanova, on the functioning and application of rights of passengers, using airline transport in Europe.

The news was reported by the MEP's press office Tuesday.

Parvanova had received over 900 alerts about violations of passenger rights in July 2011, on the very first day she was appointed main rapporteur on these rights. The most common violations had been lack of information on passenger rights, especially when they were significant flight delays or cancelations.

After the vote, the Bulgaria MEP explained that the next step is to have the report being voted by the Transport Committee and voiced strong optimism she would receive their full support.

Over the summer, she appealed to Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, to undertake measures to guarantee security for the luggage of passengers and of cargo at Sofia Airport, grounding it on numerous complaints about theft. It emerged later that Parvanova had also been the victim of such theft when in October 2010, a notary deed for an apartment and a watch TAG Heuer Karrera valued at EUR 3 500 disappeared from her suitcase, prompting her to file a claim with the airport authority.

It was reported in July 2011, that the Bulgarian MEP has requested in front of the European Parliament a temporary close-down of Sofia International Airport due to what she saw as unwarranted interference with passengers' luggage. She explained she did not want the airport closed, but only the revocation of the license of one of the operators.

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