Flight compensation in Ireland
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Quick answer
All flights departing Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Knock are covered by Regulation 261/2004 on any airline, and inbound flights on EU airlines (Ryanair, Aer Lingus) are covered too. The Irish Aviation Authority is the enforcement body and assesses individual complaints; claims can be brought in the Small Claims Court within 6 years.
Who is covered
- Departures from Ireland
- Every flight departing an airport in Ireland is covered, whichever airline operates it.
- Arrivals into Ireland
- Flights arriving from outside Europe are covered only when the operating airline is licensed in the EU/EEA; a third-country airline (Emirates, Qatar Airways, American Airlines) is not.
- Applicable rules
- EU Regulation 261/2004
- Currency
- EUR
- Enforcement authority
- Irish Aviation Authority (IAA)
- Limitation period
- 6 years
- Statute of Limitations 1957.
- Escalation path
- Airline → Irish Aviation Authority complaint → Small Claims Court (up to €2,000) or District Court.
Limitation periods differ by country and can be as short as one year. This is the period to bring a court claim; complaint bodies may have their own deadlines.
What can I claim for a flight from Ireland?
Every flight departing from Ireland is covered under EU261, whichever airline operates: €250–€600 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more, a cancellation announced under 14 days ahead, or denied boarding. Flights into Ireland from outside Europe are covered when the airline is licensed in Europe.
Does this apply to your flight?
Flight from or to Ireland?
A few short questions — no flight number needed yet. You get a preliminary result on the facts you give; the full check confirms it from the itinerary.
Already known from this page
- Ireland
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Rules and amounts
Regulation 261/2004 applies to every departure from Irish airports and to inbound flights on EU airlines — which includes Ryanair’s and Aer Lingus’s flights from the UK and the US. Amounts: €250 / €400 / €600; Dublin–New York and Dublin–Boston on Aer Lingus pay €600.
Enforcement: Irish Aviation Authority
Since 2023 the IAA (which absorbed the Commission for Aviation Regulation) is Ireland’s enforcement body. It accepts complaints online for flights departing Ireland and inbound EU-carrier flights, assesses them and tells the airline whether compensation is due. Airlines usually comply, although the IAA’s assessment is not legally binding.
Courts and limitation
The Small Claims Court handles consumer claims up to €2,000 for a small fee, without a lawyer; larger claims go to the District Court. The limitation period is 6 years.
Irish specifics
Ryanair only accepts claims through its own EU261 form and does not deal with claim agencies without a power of attorney; claiming yourself is quickest.
Sources
- European Commission — DG MOVEAir passenger rights (including list of National Enforcement Bodies)
- European Parliament and CouncilRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights
- European Union — Your EuropeAir passenger rights
Last legally reviewed: 12 September 2026 · Content updated: 12 September 2026
Check your passenger rights for this flight.
Enter the flight; the check applies the rules for departures from Ireland, tells you the amount and names the body to escalate to.