UK261 compensation
UK261 gives passengers £220, £350 or £520 when a flight arrives three or more hours late, is cancelled at short notice, or boarding is denied. It is EU261 kept in UK law after Brexit, with the amounts redenominated into sterling.
Check your own flight against UK261 →Who it covers
- Any flight departing from a UK airport, whoever operates it.
- Any flight arriving in the UK operated by a UK or EU carrier.
- A flight from the EU to the UK on an EU carrier can fall under both UK261 and EU261. You claim once, under whichever pays more — the calculator works out which.
What it pays
| Distance or situation | Per passenger |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | £220 |
| 1,500–3,500 km, and any UK domestic flight over 1,500 km | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km between the UK and elsewhere | £520 |
What triggers it
Delay
Arrival three hours or more late at the final destination.
Cancellation
Due unless you were given at least fourteen days' notice or re-routed inside the permitted windows.
Denied boarding
Refused a seat against your will despite a confirmed booking and timely check-in.
Duty of care — separate from compensation
From two hours, the airline owes meals and refreshments, communications, and a hotel with transport where an overnight stay becomes necessary — regardless of the cause, and with no time limit.
When the airline may pay half
The airline may pay half where it re-routed you and you arrived within two, three or four hours of the original arrival time, depending on the distance band.
The refusals airlines send, and what answers them
“Extraordinary circumstances”
UK courts still follow the Court of Justice case law decided before the end of 2020, so Wallentin-Hermann and Sturgeon continue to bind. A routine technical fault is not extraordinary here either.
Silence
Escalate to the Civil Aviation Authority, or to the airline's approved ADR body if it belongs to one — AviationADR and CEDR both handle UK261 disputes and their decisions bind the airline that signed up to them.
A voucher instead of money
The same rule as EU261: vouchers only with your written agreement. You can decline.
Enforcement
The Civil Aviation Authority enforces UK261. Many airlines also belong to an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme, which is usually faster than court and costs the passenger nothing.
How long you have
Six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Five years in Scotland.
Questions
Does EU261 still apply to UK flights after Brexit?
In part. A flight departing an EU airport for the UK is covered by EU261 whoever operates it. A flight departing the UK is covered by UK261, and also by EU261 if it lands in the EU on an EU airline. Where both apply you claim once, under the one that pays more.
What is the difference between UK261 and EU261?
The rules are the same text, kept in UK law after Brexit. The amounts differ: UK261 pays £220, £350 or £520 where EU261 pays €250, €400 or €600, and UK claims are enforced by the CAA rather than an EU national body.
How much does UK261 pay?
£220 for up to 1,500 km; £350 for 1,500–3,500 km, and any UK domestic flight over 1,500 km; £520 for over 3,500 km between the UK and elsewhere.
How long do I have to claim?
Six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Five years in Scotland.
Who enforces it?
The Civil Aviation Authority enforces UK261. Many airlines also belong to an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme, which is usually faster than court and costs the passenger nothing.
Primary sources
Read the law itself rather than anyone's summary of it, this one included. Every link below was checked on 12 September 2026.
- The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 — legislation.gov.uk
- Sturgeon and others, C-402/07 — the arrival-delay ruling UK courts still follow
By situation, rather than by statute
If you would rather start from what happened than from which law applies: my flight was cancelled · they are blaming a strike · they are blaming a technical fault · I was denied boarding · I am stuck at the airport · I missed my connection · they moved me to a lower class · my bag did not arrive · they say it was extraordinary · should I use a claim company?
Worked examples on real routes
Where this law and another both reach the same flight, and which pays more:
The other statutes
- EU261 compensation — EU261
- Israeli Aviation Services Law — the Aviation Services Law
- US DOT flight delay rules — US DOT rules
- Canada APPR compensation — the APPR
- Montreal Convention 1999 — the Montreal Convention
- Russia Air Code Article 120 — Article 120 of the Air Code
- SHY passenger rights, Turkey — the SHY-Passenger Regulation
- India DGCA rules — the DGCA CAR
- ANAC Resolution 400, Brazil — ANAC Resolution 400
- Thailand CAAT rules — the CAAT passenger rules
- Indonesia PM 89/2015 — Ministerial Regulation PM 89
- Saudi GACA passenger rights — the GACA customer protection rules