Flight Delayed or Cancelled in Austria? Your EU261 Rights Explained
Stuck at Vienna Schwechat or waiting out snow in Innsbruck? Austria is an EU member, so EU Regulation 261/2004 sets the minimum standard for how airlines treat you when a flight is delayed, cancelled or overbooked. Here is how it works for flights to and from Austria, in plain language.
Main airports and airlines in Austria
Most traffic runs through Vienna International (VIE), the hub of Austrian Airlines (part of the Lufthansa Group). Other airports include Salzburg (SZG), Innsbruck (INN), Graz (GRZ), Linz (LNZ) and Klagenfurt (KLU). Low-cost carriers such as Ryanair (including its Lauda Europe arm) and Wizz Air also fly from Vienna, and many travelers from nearby Slovakia start their trips at VIE.
When EU261 applies to flights in Austria
EU Regulation 261/2004 (EU261) generally covers you when:
- You depart from an airport in Austria, on any airline. So a long-haul flight from Vienna on a non-EU airline is covered, not only Austrian Airlines.
- You fly into Austria from outside the EU on an airline licensed in the EU. For example, an Austrian Airlines flight from New York into Vienna is covered; a non-EU airline flying into Vienna from outside the EU generally is not, on that leg.
If you booked connecting flights on one ticket, the distance and the delay are generally measured to your final destination.
Delays: care, re-routing and refunds
Care starts once the departure is delayed by 2 hours on flights of 1,500 km or less (Vienna to Zurich, about 600 km), 3 hours on flights within the EU over 1,500 km and other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km (Vienna to Lisbon, about 2,310 km), or 4 hours on longer flights (Vienna to New York, about 6,810 km). It means meals and refreshments, two calls or emails, and a hotel plus transfers if you are stuck overnight. At 5 hours of delay you can choose not to travel and ask for a refund of the unused ticket. If the flight is cancelled, you choose between a refund and re-routing.
The fixed amounts in the regulation
The regulation sets fixed amounts per passenger of €250 (1,500 km or less), €400 (within the EU over 1,500 km, or 1,500 to 3,500 km) and €600 (other flights over 3,500 km) for arrivals 3+ hours late, cancellations with under 14 days' notice, and denied boarding. Long-haul amounts can be halved in some cases where you arrive within 4 hours of schedule. Whether any amount applies depends on the cause and the facts.
Extraordinary circumstances and local disruptions
The fixed amounts do not apply when the airline shows extraordinary circumstances, such as severe weather, air traffic control (ATC) restrictions or strikes, or security risks. The EU Court of Justice has generally said routine technical faults and strikes by the airline's own staff do not qualify. Care still applies either way. In winter, snow and low visibility can limit operations at Alpine airports such as Innsbruck and Salzburg. Whether a weather delay counts as extraordinary depends on the conditions on the day and what the airline could reasonably have done, so ask the airline to state the specific cause in writing.
Where to complain in Austria
Write to the airline first and keep a copy. If that does not resolve it, contact the national enforcement body in the country where the problem happened. Austria's national enforcement body is the Agentur für Passagier- und Fahrgastrechte (apf), the Agency for Passenger Rights, in Vienna. It has information and an online complaint form in German and English: en.apf.gv.at.
Coming in 2027: Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 amends EU261. Most changes apply from 23 October 2027, including a general nine-month deadline for compensation requests. Until then, the current rules above apply.
FAQ
Does EU261 cover a non-EU airline leaving Vienna? Yes. EU261 applies to all flights departing from an airport in Austria, whatever the airline.
My Austrian Airlines flight was cancelled because of snow. What can I ask for? You can still ask for care (meals, and a hotel if needed) and choose between a refund and re-routing. The fixed amounts may not apply if the weather is accepted as extraordinary.
Who handles complaints about flights from Austria? The apf (Agentur für Passagier- und Fahrgastrechte). Write to the airline first, then use the apf form if you are not satisfied.
Related guides
- EU261 guide (en español)
- Flight cancelled: your options
- Missed connection guide
- All Europe flight delay guides
Create your letter
Delay Draft writes a clear letter you send to the airline yourself ($9.99 for 1 to 2 travelers, $24.99 for 3 to 6). We are not a law firm and do not file claims for you. Questions: claims@delaydraft.com.