Flight Delayed or Cancelled in Europe? Country-by-Country Guides
Europe has some of the strongest air passenger rules in the world. EU Regulation 261/2004 (EU261) covers flights departing any EU country, and EU airlines flying into the EU from elsewhere. Iceland and Norway apply it through the EEA Agreement, and Switzerland through its air transport agreement with the EU. The United Kingdom has its own version, UK261, with amounts in pounds.
Each guide below covers the country's main airports and airlines, when the rules apply, what care the airline must give while you wait (meals, hotels, re-routing or a refund), the fixed amounts the regulation sets, common local causes of disruption, and the official national body that handles complaints.
The basics in one minute
- Care: after 2, 3 or 4 hours of delay (depending on distance), the airline must offer meals and refreshments, and a hotel if you are stuck overnight.
- 5-hour delays: you can choose not to travel and ask for a refund.
- Cancellations: you can choose between a refund and re-routing.
- Fixed amounts: EU261 sets €250, €400 or €600 per passenger by distance for arrival delays of 3+ hours, short-notice cancellations and denied boarding, unless the airline shows extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather or air traffic control strikes. UK261 sets £220, £350 or £520 (£260 in some long-haul cases).
- Where to complain: write to the airline first. If that does not work, contact the national enforcement body in the country where the problem happened.
- Coming in 2027: Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 amends EU261. Most of its changes apply from 23 October 2027.
EU member states (27)
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
Iceland, Norway and Switzerland
United Kingdom
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