What Is EC 261/2004?
EC 261/2004 is a European Union regulation that establishes common rules for compensation and assistance to air passengers in the event of denied boarding, flight cancellations, or long delays.
It applies to all flights departing from any EU/EEA airport (regardless of airline) and flights arriving at EU/EEA airports when operated by an EU/EEA-registered carrier.
The regulation was adopted in 2004 and came into force on February 17, 2005, replacing the earlier and weaker Regulation 295/91.
Which Flights Are Covered?
Departing from EU/EEA: All airlines are covered, including non-EU carriers like American Airlines, Emirates, or Air Canada.
Arriving at EU/EEA: Only EU/EEA-registered carriers are covered. So Lufthansa arriving in Frankfurt from New York is covered, but United Airlines on the same route is not.
The UK (post-Brexit): UK departures are covered by UK261 (nearly identical). UK-arriving flights are covered if the carrier is UK-registered.
Compensation Amounts
Short-haul (under 1,500 km): €250 per person — e.g., London to Paris, Rome to Barcelona
Medium-haul (1,500–3,500 km): €400 per person — e.g., London to Athens, Berlin to Marrakech
Long-haul (over 3,500 km): €600 per person — e.g., London to New York, Paris to Bangkok
Special rule: For long-haul flights with delays of 3-4 hours, compensation may be reduced by 50% to €300.
The 'Extraordinary Circumstances' Defense
Airlines can avoid paying if the disruption was caused by 'extraordinary circumstances' — events outside their control that couldn't have been avoided even with all reasonable measures.
Extraordinary: severe weather, ATC strikes, political instability, security threats, volcanic ash, bird strikes causing significant damage.
NOT extraordinary: mechanical failures, crew shortages, turnaround delays, IT system failures, minor bird strikes, operational decisions.
