If you
arrived at your final destination with
a delay of more than 3 hours, you are entitled to
compensation, unless the delay was due to
extraordinary circumstances.
Extraordinary circumstances - Delay
Extraordinary circumstances can lead to more than one cancellation or delay at the final destination. Examples of events defined as extraordinary circumstances are
air traffic management decisions,
political instability,
adverse weather conditions and
security risks.
Situations which are
not considered as extraordinary circumstances include:
- most technical problems which come to light during aircraft maintenance or are caused by failure to maintain an aircraft
- collision of mobile boarding stairs with an aircraft
- strikes by air carrier staff (internal strike action)
Any
strike external to an air carrier that affects the operation of the airline may be considered as extraordinary circumstances. However, to be exempted from paying compensation, the
airline must prove that: i) there is a link between the extraordinary circumstances and the delay or the cancellation, and ii) the delay or cancellation could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.
If the airline does not provide you with a satisfactory explanation, you can contact your
national authority for further assistance.