Air travel runs on tight schedules and complex systems. When flights are delayed or canceled, most passengers feel confused and unsupported. Many do not know their rights. Others assume the airline’s answer is final.
Irina Ciochiu built her career around changing that.
As the Founder and CEO of FlightHelp, Ciochiu works at the intersection of law, aviation, and consumer rights. Her mission is clear. Help passengers understand when they may be eligible for compensation and guide them through a process that airlines often make difficult to navigate.
But her path into this industry was not accidental.
Early Background and Legal Foundation
Irina Ciochiu grew up in Romania and later studied law at the University of Craiova. During her legal studies, she became interested in how regulations work across borders and how difficult they can be for ordinary people to use in practice.
That realization shaped her career.
She noticed that many industries had strong legal protections on paper, but very little practical support for consumers trying to enforce them.
“Success is creating systems that solve real-world problems at scale,” she says. “Especially in industries where individuals often lack support.”
That idea eventually became the foundation for FlightHelp.
Why Irina Ciochiu Focused on Passenger Rights
The aviation industry is heavily regulated. In Europe, EU261 gives passengers the right to compensation in many cases involving delays, cancellations, and denied boarding.
But knowing those rights and successfully enforcing them are two very different things.
According to European consumer groups, millions of passengers may qualify for compensation each year under EU261, yet a large percentage never pursue claims. Many travelers either do not understand the process or accept the airline’s explanation without challenge.
Ciochiu saw a major gap.
Instead of pursuing a traditional legal career path, she focused on creating practical systems that help passengers navigate these regulations more effectively.
“Legal thinking, persistence, and the ability to translate complex rules into simple solutions are key,” she says.
That mindset led to the launch of FlightHelp.
How FlightHelp Helps Passengers Navigate Airline Claims
Launching a company in the aviation sector meant dealing with multiple jurisdictions, airline policies, and constantly changing operational issues.
“Navigating regulatory complexity across multiple jurisdictions while building a scalable business in the aviation space,” Ciochiu says, “was one of the biggest challenges.”
Rather than avoiding complexity, she built systems around it.
FlightHelp focuses on helping passengers submit and manage compensation claims under EU261 and similar frameworks. Ciochiu emphasizes that passengers should not rely solely on airlines to determine whether a claim is valid.
Even when airlines cite “extraordinary circumstances” as the reason for a disruption, passengers may still qualify for compensation depending on the situation and supporting evidence.
This is one reason she encourages travelers to seek professional assistance instead of handling claims entirely on their own.
Airlines also rarely provide passengers with the actual operational reason for a disruption in writing. That lack of transparency can make it difficult for travelers to evaluate whether a denial is legitimate.
According to Ciochiu, this is where professional support becomes important.
The process often involves reviewing operational details, documentation, and legal standards that most passengers do not have access to or experience interpreting.
Her focus is not just processing claims. It is helping passengers understand the system they are dealing with.
Why Airline Transparency Matters
Passenger rights have become a bigger issue as European air traffic continues to increase. Industry data shows that delays and cancellations remain common during peak travel seasons.
But many passengers still assume the airline has the final word.
Ciochiu believes awareness is one of the biggest missing pieces.
“Most challenges become manageable once you start moving through them,” she says. “Passengers often give up too early because they assume the process is closed after the airline responds.”
She believes travelers should document delays carefully, save travel records, and seek support before assuming they are ineligible.
This approach has helped FlightHelp expand across multiple European regions, including Romania, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and Germany.
Leadership Style and Long-Term Vision
Ciochiu’s leadership style reflects her legal background. It is structured, direct, and focused on measurable outcomes.
“I start with a clear long-term vision and then break it down into measurable milestones,” she explains. “If something isn’t contributing to progress, it gets deprioritized quickly.”
She also emphasizes continuous learning and adaptation.
“Growth comes from iteration,” she says. “I treat every result—good or bad—as feedback.”
That mindset has helped her navigate the fast-changing aviation industry while continuing to build systems that simplify complex legal processes for travelers.
The Future of Passenger Rights in Europe
As international travel continues to grow, passenger rights are becoming more important across Europe.
For Irina Ciochiu, the mission remains straightforward. Make passenger protections easier to understand and easier to enforce.
Her role is not only as a founder, but as someone helping bridge the gap between legal frameworks and everyday travelers.
In an industry built on complexity, that work continues to matter more than ever.
Read more:
Irina Ciochiu: Turning Flight Delays Into Consumer Power