Irina Ciochiu on Passenger Rights, Aviation, and Building FlightHelp

Irina Ciochiu is a Romanian entrepreneur and legal professional best known as the Founder and CEO of FlightHelp, a company focused on passenger rights and flight compensation across Europe.

With a legal background from the University of Craiova, she has built her career at the intersection of aviation, regulation, and consumer advocacy.

Ciochiu entered the passenger rights industry after recognising a major gap between legal protections and the average traveller’s ability to use them. While regulations such as EU261 provide strong protections for passengers affected by delays, cancellations, and overbookings, many people still struggle to understand the claims process or challenge airline decisions effectively.

Through FlightHelp, she has worked to simplify that process by creating systems that help passengers navigate complex airline regulations and compensation procedures. Her work focuses on combining legal understanding with operational efficiency, particularly in cases where airlines cite extraordinary circumstances or provide limited information about the real cause of disruptions.

Over the years, Ciochiu has expanded her work across several European markets, including Romania, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and Germany. She is recognised for her practical, results-driven approach and her focus on turning complex legal frameworks into accessible solutions for everyday travellers.

Today, Irina Ciochiu continues to advocate for greater transparency, accountability, and passenger awareness within the European aviation industry.

Q&A with Irina Ciochiu

Q: What first led you towards the aviation and passenger rights industry?

Irina Ciochiu:
My background is in law, and during my studies at the University of Craiova I became very interested in how regulations work in practice. I noticed that many industries had strong legal protections on paper, but ordinary people often struggled to use them effectively. Aviation stood out because passengers were frequently left confused after delays or cancellations, even when regulations like EU261 existed to protect them.

That gap between the law and the real-world experience is what pushed me towards this industry.

Q: Was there a specific moment when you realised this could become a business opportunity?

Irina Ciochiu:
Yes. I realised that most passengers simply did not know what they were entitled to or how to challenge airline decisions. Many accepted a rejection immediately, especially when airlines mentioned extraordinary circumstances.

At the same time, airlines rarely provide the actual operational reason for a disruption in writing. That creates a situation where passengers are trying to navigate a highly technical process without access to the necessary information.

I saw an opportunity to build systems that could simplify that process and provide proper support.

Q: What were the early challenges of building FlightHelp?

Irina Ciochiu:
The aviation industry is extremely complex. You are dealing with multiple countries, different regulations, airline procedures, and operational issues all at once.

One of the biggest challenges was navigating regulatory complexity across multiple jurisdictions while still building something scalable. Early operational problems actually helped improve our systems because they forced us to refine processes very quickly.

Those experiences made the business much more resilient over time.

Q: What do you think passengers misunderstand most about EU261?

Irina Ciochiu:
A lot of passengers believe that if an airline rejects a claim, that is the end of the process. That is often not true.

Even when airlines cite extraordinary circumstances, passengers may still qualify for compensation depending on the actual details behind the disruption. The problem is that most travellers do not have access to that information or know how to assess it properly.

That is why professional support can be very important during the claims process.

Q: How does FlightHelp approach these situations differently?

Irina Ciochiu:
We focus on simplifying the process for passengers. Most people do not want to spend hours studying regulations or dealing with complicated airline communication.

Our role is to help bridge that gap. We combine legal understanding with operational systems designed to review claims properly and guide passengers through the process.

The goal is not just filing claims. It is helping people understand their rights and their options.

Q: Your work spans several European markets. Has that shaped your perspective on the industry?

Irina Ciochiu:
Definitely. Working across countries like Romania, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and Germany shows you how different passenger experiences can be, even under the same regulations.

It also highlights how important consistency and transparency are. Travellers should not need legal expertise just to understand whether they may qualify for compensation after a disrupted flight.

The more accessible these systems become, the better the experience is for passengers overall.

Q: What is your leadership style like?

Irina Ciochiu:
I am very structured and focused on execution. I like breaking large problems into smaller, measurable steps.

I also believe strongly in iteration. Every challenge, good result, or failure gives feedback that helps improve the system.

In industries like aviation, where things constantly change, adaptability is extremely important.

Q: What keeps you motivated in this industry?

Irina Ciochiu:
I think it comes back to solving real-world problems. Passenger rights are important, but they only matter if people can actually access them.

That is what motivates me. Building systems that make complicated processes easier for ordinary travellers and helping people feel less powerless during stressful situations.

Q: What do you think the future of passenger rights looks like in Europe?

Irina Ciochiu:
I think awareness will continue to grow. More passengers are starting to understand that they have rights and that airline decisions are not always final.

At the same time, the aviation industry will continue evolving, which means regulations and operational processes will also change. Transparency and accountability will become even more important.

My focus is continuing to improve systems that help passengers navigate that environment more effectively.