Italy's data protection authority has fined Emirates €180,000 for mishandling health information of passengers with reduced mobility. While collecting such data was considered lawful for safety and assistance, regulators flagged failures in transparency and found that medical records were kept for seven years — a period deemed excessive. Emirates did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Italy Fines Emirates €180,000 Over Mishandling of Passengers’ Health Data
An Emirates aircraft is seen through the window of a Middle East Airlines airplane at Cairo International Airport, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Cairo, Egypt, March 31, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Rome, June 17 (Reuters) - Italy's data protection authority said on Wednesday it has fined Emirates €180,000 ($208,890) for what the regulator described as the unfair handling of health information belonging to passengers with reduced mobility.
Regulator's Findings
The authority concluded that collecting health data can be lawful when necessary to ensure safe transport and provide appropriate assistance. However, investigators identified two key breaches: inadequate transparency about how health data is used and excessive retention of sensitive information.
What Happened
The case began after a passenger complained that Emirates required her to complete a medical form even though she did not fall into any category that would make such documentation mandatory. The regulator found that Emirates did not supply sufficiently clear and complete privacy information on its website or via staff who assist passengers.
Retention Concerns
Investigators also determined that the airline retained health data collected through medical forms for seven years. The Italian authority deemed this retention period excessive and disproportionate to the purpose of ensuring passenger safety and assistance.
Emirates was not immediately available for comment.
($1 = 0.8617 euros)
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti; editing by Alvise Armellini)
Help us improve.
