Flight compensation in the United Kingdom
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Quick answer
All flights departing UK airports are covered by UK261 (£220, £350 or £520), and flights into the UK are covered on UK and EU airlines. The Civil Aviation Authority oversees the rules; approved ADR schemes — AviationADR and CEDR — issue decisions that bind the airlines that belong to them. You have 6 years to sue in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 5 in Scotland.
Who is covered
- Departures from United Kingdom
- Every flight departing an airport in United Kingdom is covered, whichever airline operates it.
- Arrivals into United Kingdom
- Flights arriving from outside the UK are covered only when the operating airline is licensed in the UK or the EU/EEA.
- Applicable rules
- UK261 (UK passenger rights)
- Currency
- GBP
- Enforcement authority
- UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
- Limitation period
- 6 years (5 in Scotland)
- Limitation Act 1980 (England & Wales); Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973.
- Escalation path
- Airline → AviationADR / CEDR (binding, free) or CAA PACT → county court (Money Claim Online, small-claims track).
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 United Kingdom?
Every flight departing from United Kingdom is covered under UK261, whichever airline operates: £220–£520 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more, a cancellation announced under 14 days ahead, or denied boarding. Flights into United Kingdom from outside Europe are covered when the airline is licensed in Europe.
Does this apply to your flight?
Flight from or to United Kingdom?
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
- United Kingdom
What happened to your flight?
Rules and amounts
UK261 is Regulation 261/2004 as retained in UK law. It covers all departures from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham and every other UK airport, and inbound flights on UK or EU airlines. Amounts: £220 (up to 1,500 km), £350 (1,500–3,500 km), £520 (over 3,500 km, no intra-EU cap).
Enforcement: the CAA
The Civil Aviation Authority publishes guidance, monitors compliance and can take enforcement action against airlines. It does not decide individual claims, but its Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) reviews complaints against airlines that are not in an ADR scheme.
ADR schemes
Most airlines flying from the UK belong to one of two CAA-approved schemes:
- AviationADR — Ryanair (with Buzz, Malta Air and Lauda), easyJet, TUI Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Wizz Air, Air France, KLM, TAP, Turkish Airlines, Delta and others.
- CEDR — British Airways, BA CityFlyer, Cathay Pacific and SAS.
Jet2 and Loganair belong to neither scheme (CAA list, September 2026): their refusals go to the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaints Team, which reviews but cannot bind the airline, or to the county court.
You can use the scheme after the airline has given a final answer or after 8 weeks without one. Decisions are binding on the airline; there is no fee for passengers (a £25 fee may apply at AviationADR if the claim fails, depending on the scheme’s rules at the time).
Courts
Money claims can be issued online (Money Claim Online) and are allocated to the small-claims track up to £10,000 in England and Wales. Limitation: 6 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; 5 years in Scotland.
UK specifics
- Flights before 1 January 2021 from the UK are assessed under EU261 in euros.
- CJEU judgments before the end of 2020 remain binding “retained case law”; later ones are persuasive.
- Airlines must pay in cash or bank transfer; vouchers require your written agreement.
Sources
- UK Civil Aviation AuthorityAlternative dispute resolution (ADR) for aviation complaints
- UK Civil Aviation AuthorityDelays and cancellations — your rights
- UK Government — legislation.gov.ukRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law (assimilated law)
- UK Government — legislation.gov.ukThe Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/278)
Last legally reviewed: 12 September 2026 · Content updated: 12 September 2026
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Enter the flight; the check applies the rules for departures from United Kingdom, tells you the amount and names the body to escalate to.